A Mirror Is All He's Needed
by IniRniDefunct
Summary: Starting where Harry and Snape have gotten out of the pensieve, and Harry starts to have a lot of mutual understanding about Sirius, and Severus, with slight slash, a what if story (OotP spoiliers, plus a raise of rating to be safer) complete
1. Chapter I

Chapter one - Beta'd 5/5/04  
  
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?" James asked in Pensieve, inside a memory of one of Snape's most worst memory, and Harry have witnessed all of this so far, and never saw whether or not James, his father took the pants off of him. Because at that exact moment, Severus Snape have put his hand on Harry's shoulder, gripping tightly.  
  
Fear have settled down in Harry's stomach, and rooted to his spot, looking into Snape's eyes with horror. "Having fun?" The two of them rose back out of the pensieve through blackness and on solid ground once more, in Snape's study.  
  
"So," Severus said, holding onto Harry's shoulder, very white with rage. "SO . . . been enjoying yourself, Potter?"  
  
Finding courage to speak, and in reply to his question, "N-no Pro--" Harry began, but Snape cut him off.  
  
"Amusing man, your father, wasn't he?" asked Professor Snape, shaking Harry nearly violently enough to have his glasses nearly to fall off his nose.  
  
"I-- didn't profes--"  
  
In the next second, Harry was thrown to the cold, stone floor harshly with courtesy of Snape. "You will not repeat what you saw to NOBODY!" Snape screamed with rage.  
  
"I will do that Professor," Harry replied, wincing from his pain, and from Snape's yelling.  
  
"Get out, get out, I don't want to see you in my office ever again!" He bellowed at Harry, who remained rooted to his feet. "I do believe that I said you to get out!"  
  
"But professor I--" Harry began, feeling a bit more braver than only moments ago under Snape's wrath of yelling.  
  
"I. Said. You. To. Get. OUT!"  
  
"No! Not until you hear what I have to say!" he yelled, getting angry all over again. His buildup fury with Cho eariler and over Malfoy's jeering face that he had remedial potions.  
  
"I refuse, now get out!"  
  
"PROFESSOR SNAPE! I will not leave until you hear what I have to say!"  
  
"Then by all means, I will remove you personally! Get out or it won't be until you graduate that you will be free from detentions worth!"  
  
"FINE! Give me detentions, and at least I will tell you what I have to say about my own father!" bellowed Harry.  
  
"I don't want to hear about your comments on your father! Get out now!"  
  
Then calmly as Harry says it, "I'm ashamed of my father, after all these years, I have prided myself on being compared to my own dad. But after tonight, I don't know what to think anymore."  
  
Harry turned and left Snape's study, filled with hot-temper, and deciding not to turn in for Common room early and stopped at the foot of the stairs that's on the foothold of corridor Snape's study is on and turned around and sat on the second from last steps and buried his hands into his face.  
  
'How could I ever thought that my dad was like that?' Harry thought to himself, feeling sickened at the memory he witnessed. He knew how Snape felt, as he was the one on recieving end with Malfoy and his Cronies and his potion's master. 'I don't even want to be compared anymore...' He thought bitterly. After an hour with those thoughts ringing in his head, he heard footsteps coming near towards him.  
  
"POTTER! What are you doing still down here?!" Snape asked, still furious.  
  
"Do you really want me to raise suspicsions of my friends if I came back up too soon?" he asked, hands still buried to his face.  
  
". . ." Snape wasn't sure what to say next, "Fine, at least stay warm, it's colder in the corridors than in my room." Then Harry let out a dry laugh.  
  
"Cold? I'm not even cold so you can stop worrying about me and go back to whatever is it you were doing."  
  
"Potter, follow me, it's an order," he said curtly, not letting go of his fury over Harry. His face sour with anger as he watched Harry unwillingly getting up from the steps. He turned and headed back to his study and let Harry back in the room, and he closed the door behind him as Snape sat down in his chair with his desk front of it.  
  
"What do you want Professor?" Harry asked harshly.  
  
"Sit down."  
  
"No thanks," he replied with bitterness.  
  
"I said to sit DOWN."  
  
"No."  
  
"Sit. Down."  
  
"No," he replied again, crossing his arms in front of him, glaring. "Why?"  
  
"So you can dandle until you have to return to your tower." Harry let out another dry laugh, then glared at him.  
  
"Fine," Harry said, sitting down in the chair opposite from Severus Snape.  
  
"Thank you, now, this will be very, very difficult for me to say . . ." began Snape. Harry raised one of his eyebrows in questioning manner. Severus sighed.  
  
"I've thought for the past hour, that I should apologize for what I've said. . . . And for past years in classes that I've treated you. Don't get me wrong Potter," Snape said, watching his reaction. Which had flickered to a hopeful smile. "I'm still going to treat you as always in classes, but not as so much as not to raise any susipcions. I, however will refrain from taking house points from you unfairly."  
  
Snape looked at the clock to his left, which is filled with plants and made sense to him because he said, "And now you may go back Potter."  
  
Harry sat there a few more moments longer, and stood up, "I guess I should apologize too. I'm sorry for ever doubting you to trying in killing me, and for all the times I treated you in a way that wouldn't be considered nice. Well, good night professor."  
  
". . . Good night," Snape replied curtly, Harry turned to leave the study hall and closed the door silently behind him, after a newfound respect, and mutual courtesy between the two. From around another corner, flickered a twinkle and went to it's own way back to the office chuckling.  
  
Back at the Gryffindor tower, Harry entered through the portriat hole into the common room after giving the password to the Purple lady. He spotted his friends by the fire in their usual seats and headed over there, and sat down in a plush chair next to ron.  
  
"Hey Harry, how was lessons with Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, looking up from her ancient runes essay.  
  
"Same old, I don't feel so good," Harry said. Which is true, because he still felt sickened to his stomach from what he saw in the pensieve.  
  
"Harry, mate, you DO don't look good, I think you should sleep now," Ron said.  
  
"Ron's right, go to bed," Hermione said. "Occulemency can really make you weaker." Taking advice from the two, and stood up again, and went to his dormitory. The next day, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat at the Gryffindor table, eating breakfast. Ron was surpised in learning that the exams were only six weeks away and Hermione argued with Ron of how could that come as a surprise. The two argued amongst themselves and talking about their study schedules for upcoming O.W.L.s. Hermione then noticed that Harry seems down.  
  
"What's wrong Harry?"  
  
"Huh? What? Oh yeah, fine," he replied quickly. Reading his copy of Defensive Magical Theory and seems to be pretending to read.  
  
"I saw Cho earlier," Hermione said to him, cautiously. " have you two got another row?"  
  
Harry looked up and towards the Ravenclaw's table and saw Cho got up and left without looking at Harry. "Oh, yeah we have."  
  
"What was the row about then?"  
  
"That stupid sneaky friend of hers," Harry began and Hermione cut him off before he had the chance to start sreaming his head off.  
  
"But Harry--"  
  
"Yeah, well, I don't blame you!" Ron said, filled with fury. "If it hadn't been for her..." The red-head went into a lengthy rant about Marietta Edgecombe, which Harry found to his relief. That he only had to say 'yeah,', 'uh-huh,' and nodding his head, looking angry. While thinking about the previous night's event.  
  
'At least I got to talk to Snape about it..." he involuntairly shuddered at the thought of his Potion's teacher bellowing at him, and shoving him to the floor. At least his two friends didn't notice his shudder, but Ginny did.  
  
"Harry, what's wrong?"  
  
"What do you mean Ginny? Harry and Cho got another row last night," Ron said, still in his rant on about her friend. Ginny shrugged and went back to eating her breakfast.  
  
Harry thought about his dad and Sirius. Of how many people compared him to his dad by his behavior and his looks. He then remembered why James, his dad, had made Snape's life a living hell. He remembered him saying to Lily, "It's more the fact that he EXISTS, if you know what I mean?" Harry shook his head mentally, frowning at himself. For nearly past five years, his father, had been the source of comfort, inspiration, and whenever someone ompared Harry to him, he had swelled up with pride.  
  
He had continued these thoughts for next few days until on Sunday that Ginny was trying to talk to Harry in the library. "Harry, Harry, HARRY!" Ginny half-yelled, as not to recieve threatening looks from Madam Pince. At last, Harry snaped out of his gaze.  
  
"What is it with you Harry?"  
  
"Oh nothing, I was just thinking.. what's that there you got?" he asked, noticing the parcel Ginny was holding. "And why are you not at practice?"  
  
"This is from my mum, which had only gotten through the newest screening process, ridiculous if you ask me. As for the practice, we had to take Jake sloper to the Hospital wing."  
  
"Huh? What happened?" Harry asked, his brows burrowed into worried _expression.  
  
"We're not sure, but we think he knocked himself with his own bat. Anyways, what's wrong Harry? You seem to be down in the slums lately. If you could just TALK to Cho..."  
  
"No, it's not that.... it's..." Harry looked around in the room, "It's just that.... wait a minute." Harry said suddnely. Something had dawned on him. How could he have forgotten?  
  
~~~Flashback~~~  
  
"I want you to take this," Sirius said quietly, thrusting a badly wrapped package roughly the same size of a paperpack book into Harry's hands.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked, filled with curiousity.  
  
"A way of letting me know if Snape's giving you a hard time. No, don't openit it in here!" said Sirius, with a wary look at Mrs. Weasley, who was trying to persuade the tins to wear hand-knitted mittens. "I doubt Molly would approve --- but I want you to use it if you need me alright?"  
  
~~~Flashforward~~~  
  
Harry had pieced the things together, from one look at the parcel Ginny was holding to, and to from wanting to talk to Sirius. "Of course... That's it!" Harry said, getting up from his chair too fast. Knocking his piece of furniture with a loud bang. Pince yelled at Harry, but he had already left the library, leaving Ginny confused, and took after him, with the parcel which hasn't been opened by her as of yet.  
  
In his dorm, Harry dug through his trunk for the badly wrapped package and what revealed is a mirror, and on the back inscribed by Sirius, explaining what it is.  
  
'This is a two-way mirror. I've got the other. If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you'll appear in my mirror and I'll be able to talk in yours. James and I used to use them when we were in sepearte detentions.'  
  
Harry smiled to himself after reading the inscription, and flipped it over again. Breathing deeply and spoke as calmly as he can. "Sirius?" A few miliseconds later, came Sirius' face onto Harry's mirror. He grinned and Sirius grinned from his worried look when he had first appeared.  
  
"Hey Harry! About time too! What took you so long?"  
  
"I never opened the package," Harry replied.  
  
"Ah, that explains it, well, what's going on Harry?"  
  
"Oh lot's happened. Have you heard about Dumbledore?" Harry asked, even though he knew the answer.  
  
"Of course I have, it was all over the daily Prophet and from the order members here as well. Anyething else Harry?" Harry curled in his bottom lip, bititng it. Sirius saw the look, as Jame and Harry looked exactly the same. He grew worried and asked.  
  
"Harry, what's wrong"  
  
"I... just want to talk about my dad..." Harry said, and Sirius rose his eyebrows in surpise.  
  
"Oh? Well, go ahead Harry," Sirius gave him a bit of motion to begin talking. Harry, keeping promise to Professor Snape, gave only bits of details.  
  
"Do you remember at the end of Defense Aganist the Dark Arts in O.W.L.s about how you Mauraders tortured Snape? What's the meaning of this?"  
  
"I wouldn't judge your dad just by that," Sirius said, after a moments silence. "He was only fifteen."  
  
"I'm FIFTEEN!" Harry said experhastedly.  
  
"Harry, it's just one of those you could understand, he was all that Snape wanted to be. Popular, excellent at Quidditch, and pretty much hated each other from the moment they've set their eyes on one another. It's like with you and Malfoy, that you've told so much about."  
  
"I guess I can understand THAT concept, but dad keeps messing up his hair," Harry whined, thinking about the part that he keeps shuffling up his hair. Sirius laughed.  
  
"I've forgotten that he'd do that...."  
  
"Uh... well, I had thought... that he was an idiot...." Harry said, hestiantly.  
  
"Of course, we were all idiots! You're even being an idiot," Sirius said. "And no offense meant by the way."  
  
Harry sighed, "None taken Sirius, but how come mum ever fell for dad? She said she hated him."  
  
"Nah, she didn't, they started dating in their 7th year when James deflated his head a bit."  
  
"Even Snape?"  
  
"No, he was different, special case and of course without Lily knowing. James would not exactly to hex Snape around Lily now would he?" Sirius looked at Harry who looked unconvinced.  
  
"Harry, you dad was the best friend I ever had, and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it."  
  
"Oh, alright Sirius, I just thought I'd ever felt sorry for Snape."  
  
"Now you've mentioned it," said another voice from behind, and appeared behind Sirius. "How did he react to what you've found out?" It was Remus Lupin.  
  
"I'll keep that to myself, but at least he let me continue Occulemency with me."  
  
". . ." Sirius wasn't convinced by his answer, and Harry heard a door opening in his dormitory and looked up.  
  
"Hey Ron," Harry said and looked back at the mirror. "Sorry Sirius, but I've got to get back to homework."  
  
"Okay, but if he as much as to try and hurt you, you'll let me know at once won't you?"  
  
"I'll do that Sirius, bye Professor Lupin--"  
  
"No, no, call me Remus, I haven't been your professor in years now."  
  
"Okay.... bye then Remus, Sirius." The mirror have closed connection and looked up at Ron.  
  
"Hey mate, what was that thing" Ron asked, pointing to the mirror.  
  
"Something Sirius gave me before we returned back to Hogwarts after Winter break."  
  
"Oh, and what did you talk about?"  
  
"It's private, I kept my promise," Harry said, putting the mirror back into his trunk.  
  
"But mate, please," Ron began.  
  
"No Ron, nothing you say won't change what I'm going to reveal or not." This made Ron very angry.  
  
"FINE! Don't tell us anything at all who happen to be your best friends!" Ron yelled and stormed out of the dormitory. Harry only sighed, experhastedly. Harry threw his head into the pillow and thought about what Sirius said. Then he remembered Snape's telling him to clear his mind before falling asleep. He had done exactly that. First time he followed Snape's instruction out of classroom since he began with Occulemency. He fell asleep into a peaceful sleep.  
  
The next day, Harry got up, thinking about the career advice that he will be having in the afternoon. Relieved that Professor Trelawney won't have to predict his death for long. He sat down happily, eating his breakfast, and thinking about the aspirations to become an auror. 


	2. Chapter II

Chapter two - Beta'd 5/5/04  
  
After attending the History of magic, which was dull as always and playing hangman with Ron, which Hermione frowned and reprimanded the two for it.  
  
"As I said before, see if I will give you the notes for your O.W.L.s to study from!"  
  
  
  
"And kill your conscience Hermione?"  
  
  
  
"I don't really appreciate how you two treat me!" she said indigintaly.  
  
Harry sighed at the two people arguing again. "Guys, cut it out, you two are arguing again." Which caused them to shut up, but Hermione didn't pay attention to them for the rest of period. Then after History of Magic, came Potions, which the three dreaded. But Harry dreaded even more, since it's the first time he'll have seen Snape after the talk they had. The trio went to their usual seats in the back of the room and talked amongst themselves.  
  
"You know, Fred and George are acting kind . . . of weird lately," Ron said, looking around the room.  
  
"How so?" Harry asked.  
  
"You're right Ron, they've been quiet all last week, which was our spring break."  
  
"They said that why waste our liesure time, and when people needed that to study for the O.W.Ls, and they said that they have something big planned tonight . . ." Ron whispered to them.  
  
"I wonder what that could be . . ." Hermione said, "It better not disrupt our lessons."  
  
"They said they won't, Fred said it'll be after the last lesson ends."  
  
  
  
"Oh, well that's good, anything to get Umbridge," her eyes flickered with rage. Then at that moment, Snape came in.  
  
"Good day students, we will be doing pratical today, the Invigoration Draught. The directions," he flicked his wand to the board, "are on here, begin." For most of the lesson, Snape have ignored except for one time that he looked to Harry and spoke.  
  
"Potter, our remdial potions will begin again tonight at 8 o'clock," Harry felt a swell of bitterness for saying that he had to get remdial potions to the front of the class. All of the Slytherins snickered. Harry swore that Draco made some sort of snide remarks about it. After that, Snape simply ignored him which suited him fine. After completing his potion, he felt that he should have at least scraped an E as he poured his potion into the flask and corked it. He labled the flask with his name on label tag and went up to have it graded.  
  
As soon he turned around to head back to his seat, he heard a sickening crashing and promptly turned around again and Malfoy stood there snickering. Harry saw his flask in pieces, and felt fury swelling up again at Malfoy, ready to take out his wand because he worked hard and felt that it was a perfect potion. However Snape reacted faster.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, I saw that, 5 points from Slytherin," Which left Malfoy stunned, and rooted to his feet, staring at his potion teacher, the Head of Slytherin, his favorite teacher, had just taken 5 points from his own house.  
  
"P-professor. . .?" Draco started, confused, and furious.  
  
  
  
"I suggest you go sit down or it will be detention, you too Potter, go get another flask or no grade will be recieved." At that, Harry went back to his cauldron and saw that Hermione nearly cleared up.  
  
"No Hermione! I need that," Harry said, panicking.  
  
"Oh, well okay, what happened?"  
  
"You didn't see?!" Ron started, "It was brilliant, Snape... just took points off of his own house because of Malfoy!" Ron laughed, as he tried to put this in his memory forever.  
  
"What? Did he really?" She looked to Harry for confirmation, whom he nodded, grinning as he poured his potion into new flask and corked and labeled it. He carried the flask back to the tray with other flasks. The bell rang and went back to his seat and cleared up his mess and grabbed his bag and went out the door with his friends. Up ahead, he saw Malfoy. Who was seething with anger.  
  
  
  
"Hey Potty!"  
  
"Funny Malfoy, is your speech severly limited today?" The Gryffindors laughed at this, which only made Malfoy even angerier. Harry, Ron and Hermione kept on walking, ignoring Malfoy stuttering snide comments back at him, which seems to be more pathetic by the second. They sat at lunch, and talking about Malfoy and laughing. The whole table knew what happened between Harry and Malfoy, and soon traveled to Hufflepuff and then Ravenclaws. Slytherin obviously knew, but were silent, trying not to acknowledge the rumors.  
  
Harry and Ron got up, as they had Divinition. "Thank god, I don't have to stay for long," Harry said as they climbed the stairs. They were working on crystal gazing again, and only ten minutes later that he had appointment with McGonagall which is in 10 minutes. Professor Trelawney excused him, with saying that he would need to have a Peace draught tonight because apparently Harry was going to be worked up over something.  
  
Ten minutes later, he arrived in McGonagall's office, and sat down in front of her Professor. He then heard a cough off in a corner. Harry saw Professor Umbridge sitting there, with her notepad sitting on her lap, with a quill in her hand. A burst of quick anger flew through his viens. As Harry walked over to the chair and sat in front of Professor McGonagall, and some of his anger withered away.  
  
"Hello Mr. Potter, let's get down to buissness shall we?" As she spoke, Harry could hear the scribbling of the quill off in the corner where Umbridge sat. "Do you have any idea of what you would like to do after Hogwarts?"  
  
  
  
"Er--" he had found the writing of quill to be very distracting.  
  
  
  
"Yes?" prompted McGonagall.  
  
  
  
"Well, er--I've thought of becoming an auror," he mumbled very slightly.  
  
"You'd need top grades for that Mr. Potter," she said, looking for the dark leaflet, and extracted it. "You will need 5 N.E.W.T.s and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations' grade, mmm I see..." McGonagall said as her eyes skimmed over the paper. "You will also need to go undergo series of character and aptitude test at the Auror office. It's a very difficult career path, Potter. They only take the very best, the last one who went through that was three years ago."  
  
At that very moment, Professor Umbridge made the smallest, tiniest cough. To see how quietly she can go, and Professor McGonagall carried on the conversation as if there was no cough.  
  
"You'll want to know what subjects you need I suppose?" she asked a bit louder than before.  
  
"Yes, though one would be the Defesne Against the Dark Arts right?" Harry asked.  
  
"Naturally," she replied smiling, "I would also advise--" A bit louder cough came more audibly. Minerva McGonagall paused, and taking a small short breath, while closing her eyes. She kept on talking as if nothing happened. Though Harry was becoming a bit more angry for the coughs she's making. He knew that she was trying to interupt their conversation, and have an argument break out.  
  
"I would also advise Transfiguration as well. Because they are very important in Auror job. Seeing that they need to transfigure a lot in their work as well as untransfigure. I should tell you now that I don't accept students into my N.E.W.T.s class unless they made 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher at Wizarding level. I would say that you are averaging 'Acceptable' right now. The other classes you should take are Charms, dreadfully useful. And Potions."  
  
At the word 'Potions' Harry wore the face of horror on his face, imagining being in Snape's class for another two years. He didn't want to take Potions anymore, he couldn't, he thought. "But Professo--"  
  
McGonagall cut him off, and continued on with the classes that are required. "Yes Potter, Potions," she said with a small smile. "They are very helpful in warding with poisons and antidotes. I really should tell you right now, Professor Snape absolutely refuses to take in students unless they achieved an 'Outstanding' in their O.W.L.s potions. So--"  
  
Professor Umbridge gave her much more prounounced cough of 'Hem, hem'.  
  
"May I offer you some cough drops Professor Umbridge?" McGonagall curtly asked her.  
  
  
  
"Oh no, that won't be necessary," she asked in her very sweetly, and annoying enough to grate Harry's bones. "I was just wondering if I could make the smallest, most tiniest interuption Professor?"  
  
"I would daresay you would," she replied cooly, and about to carry on the conversation with Harry.  
  
"I was just wondering about Potter having an interesting temperament for the Auror job," she said sweetly.  
  
That did it, Harry blew the fuse under his skin. He hated the teacher, he really abominated the evil DADA teacher. He wanted revenge for her taking away every joy he had at Hogwarts. Every single thing that had made this place worth staying for. He began to imagine if she was a bull frog, that seem to impersonate her looks, her evil, evil personailty. 'But wait, that would be really mean to the frogs, she's worse than frogs.'  
  
"Were you Dolores? Well Mr. Potter," McGonagall continued again with the career appointment. "If you are so serious in persuing this ambition, I will see to that you need to improve your transfiguration and bring it up to 'Exceeds Expectations'. As for Potions Potter, you will need to bring that up by a large margin. Professor Flitwick have graded you between 'Acceptable' and 'Exceeds Expectations'. Just make sure you make it to 'Exceeds Expectations. As for the Defense Against the Dark Arts, I daresay that you have been marked generally high. Professor Lupin had thought that you were very exceptional IN THIS CLASS. Would YOU like a cough drop Dolores?" She turned to her, seething quite madly at her.  
  
"Oh no thank you, I just that why you said that Harry would do well in that class. This year particularly, that he hasn't faring quite well. That is to say . . ." she said, shaking her head sadfully. "I'm quite sure I left a note in front of you Minerva."  
  
"Oh yes, I saw the parchment you left, is this it?" she asked, pulling out the obvious pink paper.  
  
  
  
"Yes Minerva, and I'm still not sure why you would think that Harry would do well on his O.W.L.s? Don't you think it's wrong to give Harry some fa--"  
  
Harry really did not want to take it anymore, and went beyond seething, which McGonagall only seemed to noticed. Who wore a face of a little terror upon her face. The next syllable that Umbridge came out as a very low croak.  
  
"Crooaa~ak?" Umbridge blinked once. McGonagal stared at her in horror and a hint of amusement. "Rbbit croak ribbbbit ribbit." Umbridge widened her eyes in shock and terrifed. Harry looked at her as if she suddenly popped a second head.  
  
"Dolores? Are you positive you don't need a cough drop?"  
  
Professor Umbridge shook her head and started to write down. What seems to be full of three year old scribbling whom niether McGonagall or Harry could seem to read. "Ribbbitt!!" Umbridge became more pissed off, and started stomping her feet around, speaking frog language.  
  
"Dolores?" McGonagall asked, trying to calm the woman.  
  
"Crooak! Crooo-ribbit! Ritbbit!" Really pissed off, she ran out of the room, flailing her arms around in trying to seek help. Harry had sat in his chair in the whole thing of it. McGonagall went to the door and closed it after watching Umbridge going down the corridor. Shaking her head and went back to her chair.  
  
"At least we won't have to be disturbed by her," she said scornfully. "Now I wonder what happened for her to be speaking like that...."  
  
"Maybe she just coughed too much and began to think like a frog," Harry said, shrugging, half in amusement. McGonagall chuckled.  
  
"You sure you didn't do anything with her Potter?"  
  
Harry hesitiated, "Er P-Professor? I-I'm not sure but I did imagine her becoming a frog, seeing that she already looks like one..."  
  
"Are you saying that you made her speak like that?" she asked, looking at him over her glasses.  
  
"I don't know, to be honest. Still... I think that Minster of Magic should be replaced..."  
  
"I agree Mr. Potter, we can only hope that HE will know of You-Know- Who."  
  
"Yeah, if I was in his place, there's so much I would do..."  
  
"You want to become a Minister of Magic?" she asked, pressing him on.  
  
"No way, I can't be a leader, there's too much to do. I-I wouldn't know what to do. Plus I hate being surrounded by people Professor...."  
  
"Well, at least I would trust you to do things smoothly rather that man. Everythings so awful with him in office. If you ever thought, even imagining yourself in that place. Please consider that as well. Auror buissness is very difficult, and can sometime endanger your life."  
  
"I'm aware of that Professor, but what else can I do with my top grades in Defense?"  
  
"True Potter... also if you ever consider Minister of Magic, you hardly need much except very good judgement and leadership skills." She paused a few seconds. "As you have mentioned, being in office would mean that people will always be around you. And you could be corrupted by power. But I don't think that's the case with you. You are too persistent."  
  
Harry had to laugh a bit, "really Professor?"  
  
"I daresay so. Though the age limit to become a Minister of Magic is 18. However I wouldn't be sure because you seem to have the habit of being the youngest in almost everything. Who knows, what things you could do."  
  
"Professor? Could I be an auror and Minister of Magic the same time?"  
  
"Possibly, we'll just have to wait and see."  
  
  
  
"If things don't look so good as it is now, I won't know what to do..."  
  
"Don't ever say that Mr. Potter," she said curtly. "That's a sure way to your doom."  
  
Harry watched her staring back at Harry, in those few minutes, the understanding between pupil and teacher seem to have increased.  
  
"I'm willing to train you in your classes to get your grades up if you ever want to become an auror. And to prove that woman wrong. If only Dumbledore was here..." she looked at the clock. "Ah Mr. Potter, our time is up, you may go to the next lesson.The bell will ring in a few moments--" the bell rang. "I'll be seeing you later Potter," she said with a smile. Harry smiled back and put on his bookbag and left the room to Defense Against the Dark Arts and saw Umbridge nowhere in sight and smirked.  
  
'Looks like she still can't talk English...' Harry laughed to himself. He saw Hermione and Ron looking at him strangely.  
  
"Hey Harry, what are you laughing about?" Ron asked.  
  
"Oh nothing, I'm just thinking if she would ever turn up for the rest of the year..." he flashed an evil playful smile.  
  
"Oh Harry, what did you do this time..?" Hermoine asked, terrified and curious.  
  
"We'll see if she stays the same, if not, I'll just fill you in later," he grinned.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, flashing worried looks.  
  
"Don't worry you two, it's probably nothing perma--" Umbridge came in at that exact moment, croaking everywhere. "ent." He winced.  
  
"Croaaak! Ribbit! Rbbbit!!!" Umbridge croaked very loudly. Her face really show her fury, and very furious.  
  
"Oh HARRY, what did you REALLY do?" Hermione whsipering, asking him. He grinned which only stretched her horror face even wider.Umbridge began to shove all the students out, including Harry. The others got the hint and left the classroom of their own accord. When the other classes let out. The news of Umbridge talking like a frog traveled in the castle like buzzing bees. No sooner, the unmistakable thundering, and shoutings in the West Wing. Harry, and his friends went off to investigate from the Library to see what the fuss was about.  
  
What he saw, he had to laugh. In the middle of what seem like a swamp was Fred and George. Who were talking about their new swamp. The students were either terrified, admired, or in disgust by the swamp. The people who were disgusted was the Inquistorial Squad, Umbridge and Filch.  
  
"Croaak! Rbbiitt!!"  
  
"Do you want me to get them down to dungeons?" Filch asked, she shook her head no. "Chains?" Again she said no.  
  
"Croak!"  
  
"Handcuffs?"  
  
"Croak!"  
  
"Whips?" Filch asked, getting impatient, wanting to torture the two terrors.  
  
"Ribbit!" she nodded her head. Filch grinned evilly, and set off towards Umbridge's office.  
  
"OH BOY!" Filch yelled happily. Harry watched him running down the hallway, fastest he had ever saw him run. He turned to focus on the twins.  
  
"Hey Harry! What do you think of this swamp! I think we should make her a frog. She would fit in very nicely wouldn't she?!" Harry laughed.  
  
"I guess so Fred, this is awesome..." Luckily, Umbridge didn't listen to their conversation, she was too busy trying to keep other kids out of the swamp. One brave kid nearby her, shoved her into a large body of water in the swamp.  
  
~SPLASH~  
  
  
  
A loud jeering, and laughing broke out around the hallway. Bits of plants, and snails covered Umbridge entirely.  
  
"She really is a frog now!" laughed one kid.  
  
"She need to jump from lilypad to another!" shouted another.  
  
"Umbridge needs to have frog legs first!"  
  
The twins proudly took up the offer. "I'll do that!"  
  
  
  
To Umbride's horror, George, or was it Fred, casted the wand at Umbridge, saying the incantation. Her legs became frog legs. Even more laughter, and more jeering broke out. The teachers couldn't have any control over the students, seeing that most of them where in the very back of the crowd, unable to see what's going on. Filch came back, wheezing and saw to his horror.  
  
"Dolores!" he cracked his whip. "YOU! You two have had it coming for years! Come here and make her right and I'm going to give you bloody hell of a torture!"  
  
"Hmm, I don't think..." Fred began, stroking his chin.  
  
"Perhaps it is time..." George said.  
  
"We sure don't seem to have anything holding us back is there?" Fred asked his brother.  
  
"I don't think so, we should start up our buissness..."  
  
"The Weasley'ls Wizarding Wheezes!" the two said. "ACCIO BROOMS!"  
  
"We have our new premises in Diagon Alley. Number ninety-three!" George said as they mounted their brooms and soared up into the air and above the crowd. "Discounts to those--"  
  
"Who will use our products to get rid of this old froggy woman!" Fred shouted.  
  
"CROAAK!!!"  
  
"PEEVES!" Fred shouted, spotting him somewhere down in the crowd. "Give her hell from us!" He saluted to the twin, and they were off into the twilight. Which the Peeves had never done, to actually take the word from a student, let alone the twins. The students cheered for their escape, and some were stunned. Umbridge and Filch for instance. Who were fuming, their faces that rivaled Uncle Vernon. 


	3. Chapter III

Chapter 3 beta'd 5/7/04  
  
"I don't ruddy believe it!" Shouted Ron, in the common room after Fred and George made their lengendary escape. "I really don't believe it!"  
  
"Why Ron? You saw them with your own eyes," Hermione said to him.  
  
"I know that!" he snapped, "Mum is gonna send me a howler...." he whimpered at the thought.  
  
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, confused, and said "Why?" Harry asked.  
  
"Because mum will scold me for not doing anything..." pointing to his badge. "I'm doomed..." Ron buried his hand into his face. Harry thought about the Triwizard winnings and felt more guiltier.  
  
"Ron, she can't blame you for that! There was nothing you could do," Hermione pointed out. "It seems like they planned this for a week or so..."  
  
"Apparently," came the muffled sound.  
  
"You know, I'm really surprised they got the premises in Diagon Alley, I wonder where they even GOT the money. I'm getting suspicious, have they gotten involved with stolen cauldrons?"  
  
"Perhaps..." Ron said, looking up from his hand. Harry felt even more uncomfortable.  
  
"Er--"  
  
"What Harry?" Ron asked, Hermione watching him tentitevly.  
  
"You know where they got the money?" Hermione asked, blanching.  
  
"Oh no, they did nothing illegal if that's what you're wondering. I... I gave them my Triwizard winnings."  
  
Ron perked up, "You did?! Great! Mum won't have to blame me!" Ron grinned, and Harry couldn't help but grinning as well. Hermione let out a calming sigh.  
  
"Well that explians everything, nothing could point at Ron. They can point at you," Hermione smiled.  
  
Harry suddenly remembered his Occulemency lessons. He looked at his watch which read 7:58.36 p.m.  
  
"Oh shit!" Harry set off in a run down to the dungeon. Leaving his surprised and very confused pair. Hermione then figured out that he had occulemency lessons. Harry ran, and skipped a lot of stairs, and running past teachers, and crashing into few students. Who all yelled at him for being rude and carried on with their business. Two minutes and forty-five seconds later, he came to a screeching halt, and knocked on the door lightly.  
  
"Come in," he drawled, Harry slowly opened the door and found him grading some papers. "You're on time today."  
  
"Yes sir," he replied, very out of breath.  
  
"We shall see if you actually practice, unlike in the previous month..." Harry knew what was coming, he can tell in the air. "Legilimens!" Harry braced, and felt him attacking his mind. The memories flashed before him, the first train ride to Hogwarts came in slowly and Draco came in to talk and insult them. Harry tried to regain focus, and yelled.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Harry caught Snape's wand, and saw his memories instead. He saw the younger version of Snape being bullied by his father's friend, taunting him. Then a professor gave him back his paper, which recieved Dreadful. A woman towered over a greasy haired kid, slapping him, it was then that Snape began to strangle Harry. He stopped the memories because of that. He saw that Snape was down on his knees and hands, panting.  
  
"S-sorry sir..."  
  
"Never mind that Potter, that was... ahem, that was very g-good Mr. Potter. Looks like you have finally got wits about you," Professor Snape said, stammering a bit. Seeing that he never complimented Harry, or anyone in Gryffindor for that matter. "Continue, Legillmens!"  
  
Harry felt more confident as he shouted the word, and braced for impact again, this time he couldn't bring up any memories, and casted protego upon Professor Snape. A flicker of memories moving like series of movies. First meeting with James, and Sirius started on the train to Hogwarts. The two taunted him. Then another, where his father talked to him about being a deatheater while Snape had some hint of infatuation for Lily.  
  
Scene changed, and Harry saw him following Voldemort up to Godric's Hallow, to where Lily and James went into hiding with Harry and felt intensed fear. He got in further into his mind, and almost witnessed when he recieved the Dark Mark, which was when he was in the summer before 7th year. Snape mustered up and casted expillarmus at Harry and got knocked back into the wall.  
  
Snape was again on his knees and hands, sweating more prufusely. He set one foot on the floor with one knee still on the ground, balancing himself. "You... you should have ended it sooner!" He said in fury, but out of breath. Harry was almost at the door, in fear for himself, but Professor Snape stopped him. "HOLD it Potter. The lesson is not over yet."  
  
He finally stood up, facing Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Drawing in a deep breath, staring at him.  
  
"We shall keep practicing until you've mastered this. I'm sorry to say that you are not finished with me just yet. I merely was only going easy on you so you can at least improve."  
  
Harry nodded his head in understanding, "Yes sir."  
  
Without warning, he shouted "Legillmens!" Catching him off gaurd this time, and broke in, and got only so far to where the dementors came on the train, but he stopped, and forced him into focus and casted Jelly-Legs curse on Snape, but missed. He casted another curse which caused him to tickle and right on target.  
  
Snape began to laugh, very unnaturally, but it sounds like his real laughter. Scenes flashed again in Harry's mind which aren't his own. He saw Lily, his mum, talking harshly to Snape for saying Mudblood, and slapped him. "Finite Incanteum!" Harry shouted before going any further. Snape wasn't on the floor this time ,but panting a bit hard.  
  
". . . T-thank you Mr. Potter. Legillmens!" he attacked Harry again, picking up the pace. The exchange of going back and forth, and a few times Harry lost concentration when his memories recounted to more than 2 times but cut Snape off. At Ten o'clock, the two stopped for the night.  
  
"Potter, same time, on Wednesday next week. Good night."  
  
"Good night sir," Harry replied and almost went out of the door when Snape stopped him . . . again.  
  
"Potter," he began, ". . . nevermind, just get out." Harry left the room, and closed the door and went back to his dormitory.  
  
The next day, all over the school spoke nothing but the lengendary escape of Weasely, and the Hexed-Frog-Umbridge. For next several days, students, or call them rebellions. Because that's exactly what they were doing. Left and right, all the students excluding the Inquistorial squad, who kept taking off housepoints left and right. Trying to maintain order at Hogwarts. Some of them even tried to put Umbridge right, but to their horror. They've jinixed Umbridge even further. Instead of her Frog-eye look, became real frogs. Her skin became full of frog spots and bumps.  
  
Which did nothing but stir up even more howls of laugh all around her. Umbridge tried using her wand, but nothing came except feeble sparks. She never looked so mad before her life. The thought of being half-frog and half-human which seemed to have blown her off the feet. Literally. Peeves had set invisble smal-bombs everywhere Umbridge went, and of course without her knowing. Ten nifflers have invaded her Office, and since she can't cast anything with her wand, the nifflers only came in even more. Attacking her rings, and necklaces whenever she tried to go into her office for safety.  
  
The teachers at Hogwarts did nothing to help her, claiming that the students were out of control and didn't know how to set her right. Which angered Dolores Umbridge even more. The So-Called-Headmitress sought Filch, and stuck with him everwhere she went. The Inquistorial Squad wasn't improving as much as they were. Lessons were long forgotten. Even the Ravenclaws have abandoned all hope for studying or doing homework for the exams.  
  
Meanwhile, at Ministry of Magic, Fudge haven't heard from ANYONE at Hogwarts. He started to get worried, since Dolores always sent him owl every three days. It's been six days since she wrote. Something was very wrong, and nothing seemed to add up. The minister barked to Percy Weasely, that they're going back to Hogwarts again, to see what was up. So, off they went and flooed into Umbridge's office, and got attacked immediatly, and saw nifflers all over the room, and three was currently attacking his watch necklace.  
  
"Aurgh!!" Fudge screamed, and Percy came in after him, and also got attacked, for his badge being gold.  
  
"Nifflers! What's going on?!" Percy yelled, pushing them away and ran into the hallway and shut the door. What they found in the hallway, was dungbombs all over the place. Filibuster fireworks going off, students jeering and making fun of Mrs. Norris, who is currently pink and orange with daises in her ears who yeowled loudly.  
  
"STUDENTS!" That got them quiet, for only five seconds and returned to what they were doing. Up above, Peeves was unscrewing the chandeliers and fell to the spot where Percy's left foot was only moments ago.  
  
"This is madness Minister! Where is Dolores Umbridge?!" The two set off, trying to avoid obstacles, and got in the way in some of coloring charms. By the time they reached the Great Hall, both men were now rainbows with hay and feathers floating about them. Very pissed off as they were, and found Umbridge, bawling at the head table.  
  
"Dolores!"  
  
"Secretary Umbridge!" Percy shouted over the voice and she looked up, sniffling and widened happily.  
  
"CROAAAK!!" With a huge leap from the head table all the way to the doors that lead in there and landed in front of them. "Ribbit! Rbbbit croak!!"  
  
Two men in front of Umbridge, looked on in baffled look. "Dolores? What's wrong with your voice? An-and-and YOUR LEGS!" Fudge blubbered. He took out his wand and finally set her legs right, and still yet to figure out her voice.  
  
"Here, let me do it Minister!" Percy offered, and took out his wand and did a countercurse for her voice to normalacy.  
  
"How dare-- wait, my voice!" she touched her throat happily, "Oh thank you so much Percy! Oh I would consider giving him a pay raise, don't you think Mr. Fudge?"  
  
"Agreed, but what. Is. Going. ON. Around here?!" Fudge demanded.  
  
"Oh it was awful!" she burst into tears again, completely lost control over herself. Being humilated for five days straight. "Awful, awful children!"  
  
"We'll help in trying to return this place back to normal, and expell anyone who did this to you!"  
  
"Don't bother yourself Fudge, the ones that did it, have all ready left Hogwarts of their own accord!"  
  
"Who were they?" Percy demanded, writing all of things being said.  
  
"Why, it was your twin brothers Percy!"  
  
He fumbled his quill, and looked up at her, "No kidding? Well damn, I should have expected that. They had never listened to us. Me particularly, so did they give you that frog voice and the legs?"  
  
"Just the," sniffs, "the legs."  
  
"Oh, well who casted your voice then?"  
  
"To be honest Minister, I don't know! Though HARRY seems to be the main suspect..."  
  
"H-Harry Potter?" Fudge asked, looking more overjoyous. Umbridge smiled at him, seeing what would hold in store for Mr. Potter.  
  
"Either him or Professor McGonagall. Thogh neither of them used thier wands... I never saw them drawing them."  
  
"It could have been a wandless magic!" Fudge exclaimed. "We need somewhere to talk more about this... wait, hey you!" he called out to a student. Who turned out to be Dean Thomas.  
  
What he saw, was Minister himself, "Y-yes?"  
  
"Are students attending meals as usual?"  
  
"Sorry, they come in and leave whenever they want, it's rebellion war around here . . ." Fudge's face turned purple.  
  
"Thank you for your information Mister, now shoo!" Dean left in a hurry.  
  
In the next corridor over, and spotted Harry and his friends. "Harry!"  
  
"Yeah Dean?" Harry replied, confused.  
  
"Guess who's here!"  
  
"Who?" he asked dumbly.  
  
"Minister! Umbridge's back to normal! This isn't good you know!" Harry paled, the story had gotten about when Harry gave her the frog- language.  
  
"Oh no," Hermione whined, "This is not good at all!" Ron paled as well, unable to speak but his ears went red in anger.  
  
Harry looked at the three, Ron, Hermione and Dean. "Guys, I have a plan..."  
  
"Another one?" Hermione asked, cautiously.  
  
"Yeah, I'm getting out of here," Harry said almost too casually.  
  
"WHAT?!" shouted the three at Harry.  
  
"Are you out of your mind?"  
  
"That's crazy!"  
  
"Umbridge will get you!"  
  
"Guys, calm down," Harry said, taking out his gold coin and pointed to meet in the room of Requirement in ten minutes flat.  
  
Ten minutes later, almost everyone except the Sneak have arrived there.  
  
"What's going on Harry? I thought we wouldn't do the meeting again!"  
  
"We aren't, I'm just telling you all that I'm going into hiding."  
  
The murmuring broke out, worried and awed phrases at Harry. He held up his hand again. "Don't worry about me you guys, I will still see some of you. I need you guys to start some sort of rumor that someone in slytherin had given her the frog-language. That's all you need to do. Okay, I ask you to please leave so I can discuss further with someone else."  
  
Argument broke out again, accusing him not trusting him. He held up his hand again. "Guys, I do trust you, but this matter will be much safer if very few people know about it. There will be less chance of finding something out for Umbridge."  
  
This seemed to leave some unsettled feelings but decided they should go, but only seperately. Last one who left, was Dean. Harry turned to Ron, Hermione and Ginny.  
  
"I will still take O.W.L.s, only under invisibilty cloak, and I will talk to S-Professor Snape about that."  
  
"Are you out of your mind?! He wants to expell you!" Ron argued.  
  
"I know, but it's worth the shot isn't?"  
  
"What about McGonagall?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I have a feeling that Umbridge will try to get her since she was in the room with me when she started croaking," he said quietly.  
  
"Oh, makes sense..." Hermione talked mostly to herself.  
  
"And I will still attend SOME classes."  
  
"What classes?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Potions," Harry said with a shudder, "Transfiguration, and Charms."  
  
"Oh, well that's good isn't it? But what about the Slytherins?"  
  
". . . I'll try to settle that with Professor Snape."  
  
"What is it with you and Snape lately? You two seemed almost mutual for past few days..." Ron asked.  
  
"Let's just say that something happened in Occulmency, and leave it at that."  
  
"Whatever you say mate," Ron said, patting on Harry's shoulder and went out of the door. Hermione and Ginny left with their goodbyes to him. Harry picked up his maurader map, and saw Fudge making his way to the very corrirdor that Room of Requirment is at and slung over his invisibitly cloak over him and waited for him to enter the room and thought to himself that he needed the room to look like a cupboard room and did exactly that. Fudge looked in and looked very disappointed, and the door was wide ajar, and made his way around Fudge and made his way down to Gryffindor Tower. He saw Ron standing next to the portrait and spoke to him.  
  
"Ron?" He made him jump since he was invisible. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Waiting for you of course, you'll need your stuff right?"  
  
"Yeah, I do, listen, can you try to carry them all to the one-eyed witch and behind the statue?"  
  
"Sure thing," Ron said the password and went in and came back out with his trunk and set down to where the hidden tunnel is.  
  
"Wait Ron, you'll need this," he handed over the map, so he wouldn't get caught with the trunk. Which would be very suspicious to anyone.  
  
"Smart thinking Harry, I'll leave this with your stuff as well, see you later mate."  
  
Harry set off towards the dungeons to where Professor Snape is at. He saw Umbridge in the room with him, and felt a swirl of anger rise in his throat and waited. He dared not evasdrop on them. But he only got few words in.  
  
"Truth . . . full-cycle . . ." Professor Snape was saying.  
  
"Outrageous . . . Lucius . . . of yourself!" Umbridge left the room, very angry. Harry decided to wait another ten minutes so he would appear as if he was overhearing their conversation. Luckily during that time, Snape had been grading his papers. He then took off his cloak and set it in his bookbag and knocked on the door.  
  
"I said that veritaserum isn't possible at the moment Umbridge!" he curtly said, half shouting.  
  
"Um, Professor, it's m-me..." Harry said meekly.  
  
"Oh, er-- well enter!" Harry entered quickly. "Well?"  
  
"Um," Harry felt a huge rock settled in his stomach. "Erm, I know you always wanted m-me, er can I cast silencing charm on this room?" Professor stared at him hard, and nodded slightly, Harry casted the charm on the door. "Anyways, I know in the past you wanted me to be expelled . . ."  
  
"If you're thinking of being expelled now, that's out of question."  
  
"No, that's not what I meant," Harry said quickly.  
  
"Well, what is it then?" He said quickly, patience wearing thin.  
  
"I-I'm thinking of going into hide. I know very well that Umbridge," he spat the name, "will try to expell me."  
  
"Are you saying you did the frog-language upon her?" He squinted at him.  
  
"You wouldn't tell her would you?" Harry said quickly.  
  
"So you did that then huh?" He said, amused.  
  
"Er-- Yes I did... so I'm going into hiding, but I'll still come to some of the lessons . . . and of course, O.W.L.s too."  
  
"What are you getting at Potter?"  
  
"Well, I'll need to take Potions won't I?"  
  
". . . And how do you purpose that? Surely you are in classroom filled with Slytherins.  
  
Harry sighed, "I'm sure you remember a special cloak of mine back in my third year."  
  
Snape rose his eyebrows, "Ah, then how do you explian floating things?"  
  
"Well, you know how Hermione loves to do assignments . . ."  
  
"Hmm, well I'll find a way so she can't correct you. Maybe under the table," he half-chuckled to himself.  
  
"That's a great idea professor!"  
  
"Perhaps . . . as for the other classes?"  
  
"I'll still attend Transfiguration as long McGonagall is still here, and Charms too."  
  
"What do you mean Professor McGonagall? What about her?"  
  
"I just have an inkling that she could be sacked," Harry said in softest voice he could muster.  
  
"And why?"  
  
"The reason I gave her the frog-language is because I was in career consultant and . . . well you can figure from there . . ."  
  
"Ah, lost control? Tsk, tsk, I would take off points for that, but too bad, you don't have any points left . . ."  
  
" . . ." Harry stayed silent.  
  
"Well, Mr. Potter, I guess for improvement in Occulmency and, actually trusting me with this, I'll give you one-hundred points so I can take off points from Gryffindors. Harry stared at him, flabberghasted.  
  
"What? I want to have my fun with them won't I?"  
  
Harry shook his head, "Whatever you say Professor Snape."  
  
"3 points off from Gryffindor for saying that phrase in my presence!"  
  
"Wha-?"  
  
"Anyways," he drawled, "Where are you hiding?"  
  
"Can you really keep this to yourself? Not even Ron or Hermione knows where I'm going."  
  
"Really? I thought you shared everything between you and your friends . . ."  
  
"You'd be surprised how much stuff I hide from them," Harry muttered darkly. Snape didn' say anything, but rose his eyebrows even further up, if that were possible.  
  
"Well, yes you can trust me, I am the best Occulenmist for a reason you know."  
  
Harry hestiated, and muttered again.  
  
"What was that Potter? Hogsmeade?"  
  
"No, Sh-Shrieking shack," he replied more clearly but still muttering.  
  
"Ah, very well Potter," Snape said, leaning back into the back of his chair. "We shall see, we shall see..."  
  
"Oh, and can you work something about the O.W.L.s Professor?"  
  
"I'll talk to one privately," he replied crisply.  
  
"Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me," Harry said, trying not to smile. After all, he is still scared of Potions Master.  
  
"I guess I was wrong in judging you Potter, You hardly compare to James at all."  
  
"Er-- I think I'll take my leave now, good night and I'll come tomorrow for class." Harry swung over his cloak, looking at Snape who coldly stared back. "Bye professor," he opened and closed the door and went down to One-Eyed witch and said the incantation to get in the tunnel. He looked over the map, and every corridor that leaded to the Front Doors were clear, for the moment. all the teachers who were about are several floors above or below Harry. He shrunk the trunk and pocketed it and went off to the Whomping Willow. 


	4. Chapter IV

Chapter 4 - beta'd 5/7/04  
  
As Harry made his way to Whomping Willow and saw the light on in Hagrid's cabin. He decided to go see him before setting off to Shrieking Shack. He climbed up the stairs that lead to the front door of the hut. He knocked twice nervously. He heard Fang's barking madly up at the door, and Hagrid called out.  
  
"Who's there?!"  
  
"It's me . . ." Harry said as softly as he could say. As soon he said those words, the door swung open madly.  
  
"Get in here!" Harry obeyed and walked in. He closed the door. "Harry, you can' be here!"  
  
"Hagrid, I don't have much time," he started, taking off the invisiblity cloak.  
  
"Don' have time fer wha' 'Arry?" Hagrid asked, pressing him.  
  
"I may be expelled--"  
  
"What?! Ruddy hell, are you?!"  
  
"No, at least not yet, so I have to go into hiding. So, I just want to say goodbye, and to let you know I'm going someplace safe. I can't tell you where." Harry saw the hurt look appearing on his face, he quickly added, "Not that I don't trust you. You . . . just have a tendency to blurt things out, I would tell you, but it's for my own safefty you know."  
  
"Oh alrigh' Harry, but I don't approve of you going into hidin'!"  
  
"Sorry friend," Harry said, half-hugging him, seeing that Hagrid is much bigger than he is. "But I have to go, I will attend some of your classes as much as I can okay?"  
  
"No!" he said a bit too loudly. Then he added, "Umbridge is righ' there, so don' even think about comin'."  
  
"You're right, damn her. It's all her bloody fault!"  
  
Hagrid sighed, "Me too Harry."  
  
"Well," Harry said, "I must go."  
  
"Oh, Harry?"  
  
"Yeah?" he stopped befroe swinging the cloak over him.  
  
"Are you going to attend Ron's match?"  
  
"'Course I will," Harry said, grinning.  
  
"Great, tha's good to hear. Good, good..." he said a bit too distractedly. Harry got a bit suspicious of Hagrid, and shrugged it off.  
  
"Bye Hagrid, I suspect we'll be in touch soon," he said as he swung over the cloak.  
  
"Bye Harry," Hagrid replied, opening the door for Harry. He left the hut and made his way to the Whomping Willow. He hestiated, and wondered if the tree could see him or feel his presence. Deciding not to take chances, he made his way towards the Forbidden forest. He found a long stagging stick. He check to see if it's dark enough that people won't look out their window and find it floating. There was no moon tonight, so he felt safe. He carried the stick and found the knobby root which would suspend the tree for only short while. He struck the stick to the point that prevents the tree from moving, and started to make way towards the hole. But after getting rid of the stick by using the vanishing spell.  
  
He climbed through the tunnel, and after a while, the tunnel went up and made his way into the Shrieking Shack.He stood up and looked around. He could hardly see anything.  
  
"Lumos," Harry said, lighting his wand and saw that everything remained exactly as it is. The last time he was here, was only in his third year. Where he learned the truth about Sirius, Remus, and Peter the rat. He shook his head, thinking about how could the betrayer be a Ron's pet for those three years. He casted fire spell on each torch and candles around the room to brighten the place. He set to work in the area that he would sleep in. Right now, it's nearing midnight, and is up on second floor, a room away from where the place that held all the actions those two years ago.  
  
Sasitfied, he conjured a simple blanket and pillow and put it on the torn sofa, which no matter how many times he tried saying "Reparo," and still, some did repair. But still worse for wear. Not minding this, he plopped onto the couch and went to sleep after extinquishing the candles and torches. He dared not set the fireplace on, for the Hogsmead inhabitants will notice. Harry was glad that every single window and doors that lead into the house from outside being boarded up or he would have not used candles at all.  
  
Next day proved to be a day where Umbridge, Fudge, and Percy to be having one of the worst days yet. If it were possible, the students were even more rowdy than ever. And the news that Harry was gone from Hogwarts. The rumors were flying that someone in Slytherin had jinix Umbridge for the frog-language. Saying him or her had done it in secrecy from the door or the window where she could not see who jinix her. So that it would look like the slytherin was trying to frame Harry or McGonagall.  
  
Luckily, most students attended the breakfast that morning so Fudge could at least tell most of the student population about the punishment to those who do not cease their rebillions.  
  
"Students!" Fudge yelled, purple in face again. This didn't make the kids quieten down. "Ahem, Sonorus!" His voice now booming over in the Great Hall. Which seem to even shatter the ceiling that matched the skies above them. "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING QUIET NOW!" He said, sarcastically, apparently not very pleased with the student population. "IF YOU DO NOT STOP THIS MADDNESS, I WILL BE SURE THAT THIS WILL GO ON YOUR PERMAMENT RECORD AS WELL AS EXPULSION FROM HOGWARTS IMMEDIATELY!"  
  
This broke out loud murmurings between student's nieghbors, and seem to have decided to ignore his warnings. They all went back to eating and shooting off funny charms, and eating from one of Skiving Snackboxes. This behavior only made the three Ministry of Magic staff to go red in the face.  
  
"STUDENTS! I AM WARNING YOU RIGHT NOW! THIS IS NOT A JOKE." The students still ignored the Minister. "FINE! HOGWARTS WILL CLOSE DOWN FOREVER IF YOU DON'T STOP THIS CRAZINESS! I WILL SEE TO THAT IT WILL CLOSE TODAY AT NOON IF YOU DROP THIS AND ATTEND TO CLASSES!"  
  
This apparently had left some effect on the population, and most of rebellion acts have quietened down. "THANK YOU SO MUCH! Quietus!" By the time he said Quietus, everyone have ceased to no rebellion acts at all.  
  
"Oh thank you so much Minister," Umbridge said, smiling sweetly at him.  
  
"I would say pleasure's all mine, but it wasn't exactly a pleasure . . ." he said cooly.  
  
"I agree Mr. Fudge, I agree. Terrible, terrible students . . ."  
  
"Well Dolores, we'll stay around and make sure that they're still under control. Should any, I mean ANY of them do that again, contact me at once."  
  
"I'll do that Minister," she replied sugary.  
  
"Anyways, where is Mr. Potter?" Fudge asked, searching at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"I haven't seen him... you don't suppose he disappeared somewhere in this castle?"  
  
"Perhaps . . ." Fudge replied, thinking. "Well, if you see him, give him a LESSON," he put a lot of emphasis on the word 'lesson', to have Umbridge take the hint, "that he will never forget."  
  
"Oh yes, the pleasure would be wonderful Fudge. Nasty busissness, but it should be done only to teach him. He still won't learn you know. Such a difficult child."  
  
"Indeed he is, I'm so disappointed in him . . ." Fudge said, shaking his head. "He's gone mad I tell you." He sighed, frowning. "Well, we best be off . . ."  
  
"Yes, I quite agree," Umbridge said.  
  
"Good bye miss," Percy said.  
  
"Yes, yes, bye Dolores, and I would be happy if you can owl me once a day. A paragraph would be just fine if you don't find anything worthy to report as you usually do, we'll be off."  
  
"I'll do that. Bye Minister, bye Mr. Weasely," she smiled at them, and the two were gone. For the rest of the day, Umbridge had set out to find Mr. Potter herself. Seeking teachers and some of the trustworthy students to keep an eye out for him.  
  
Little did she know, Harry had been under the invisiblity cloak, and had listened to half the conversation the three had. Needless to say, he was very glad he'd gone into hiding. He had a good idea of what lesson Fudge mentioned. But he wouldn't believe that he would actually suggest it. It was out of the line. Way too surreal. The idea of Minister of Magic, suggesting to use an Unforgiveable to Harry for a 'lesson'.  
  
The class that Ron, Harry, and Hermione attended was the Charms class. Which was good because it provided a private conversation with the other two, and made it look like that Hermione was doing the work, when actually Harry practicing. Flitwick noticed that Hermione was having problems trying to change the surface of the table into niches of moss.  
  
"Something wrong Ms. Granger? First you had it right, and suddenly you can't do it right anymore, what's wrong?"  
  
"Oh, it's fine professor, I'm just trying to grow some thicker niche Professor Flitwick."  
  
"If you say so Ms. Granger," he replied, going back to helping other students. Then Harry began to fill in what the three staffs from Ministry of Magic was saying, including the bit about the 'lesson'.  
  
"Oh, OUTRAGEOUS!" blurted Hermione.  
  
"Something you wish to share with the class Ms. Granger?" Flitwick looked postiviely worred about his best student in the class.  
  
"Oh no not right now Professor, I'm just, I'm just..."  
  
"She's lost her confidence Professor," piped Ron.  
  
"Outrageous!" Hermione half yelled.  
  
"Oh poor dear, do you need calming drought, is it because of upcoming O.W.L.s?"  
  
That did it, Hermione broke into small sobs, "I can't do it pr- professor!" The class had been watching her and Professor Flitwick, wide eyed.  
  
"Ms. Granger, you'll be okay! I think you should go see Madam Pomfrey," he suggested.  
  
"Sir . . ." Ron started.  
  
"Yes, yes I think you should go with her as well . . . say, have you two seen Harry lately?"  
  
"Not since early evening last night Professor," Ron replied sadly.  
  
"Hmm, very well, go on," seeing that Hermione was still sobbing miserably. Once the door closed behind the two, er three students.  
  
"Harry?" Ron said, bearly below a whisper.  
  
"I'm here mate, are you okay Hermione?"  
  
"Oh, just fine, that was an act you know," she said casually.  
  
". . . You do make a great actress Hermione," Ron said, smiling. She blushed at his compliment.  
  
"We've got to do with that evil woman though! I can't believe Fudge would suggest that!" she said, as they made their way to the lake, seeking privacy there.  
  
"I know, unbelieveable, but they've been that way lately. They only SEE me as an attention-seeking-prat," Harry spat furiously.  
  
"True, but that shouldn't be a reason for them to do that," Hermione said, worriedly. "I'm glad that you did decide to go into hiding when you're not really into HIDING."  
  
"Yeah mate, and I bet after she's done with you, she'll find a reason to expell you."  
  
Harry sighed, he was glad for the fact that he had such supportive friends who stuck with him. Even when he was being a prat, and sometimes very unfair.  
  
"It's nearly time for Transfiguration, we should go. I think Harry should do some of Ron's work this time. Charms was just too... risky. We can'd do that anymore."  
  
"Yeah, I agree, don't want to get sent out again because Hermione's losing her marbles," Ron snickered. Hermione smacked upside the head and huffed. Harrry laughed at that reaction and shook his head. Not that anyone could even see him now besides Sirius.  
  
Sirius. He need to talk to him as soon as he gets back to the Shrieking Shack and tell him about his situation. If Snape hadn't gone to do so. Transfiguration class didn't raise any suspicions now that Harry was pretending to be Ron who acted as normaly as he can. Professor McGonagall tried to help him and Harry improved because of her.  
  
Before she left Hermione and Ron, she asked them to hold back when the bell rang. Harry, and the other two had an inkling of what was going to be about. And they were right. The bell rang, and all but the two, and secretly, the third students held back for her.  
  
"Weasely, Granger, do you know where Potter is?" The two shook their heads sadly.  
  
" I tried to find him in the dormitory, some of the places he usually goes for thinking and I can't find him anywhere else he could be. He did say something aboug going into hiding professor."  
  
"I was afriad of that answer. If indeed he did go into hiding, things would complicate so much more . . ." she said, fixing a stern, yet worried look on her face. "I'm worried about him taking the O.W.L.s.."  
  
"I, I have a feeling that he'll still take them Professor."  
  
"Really? I do hope so, now why would you say that?"  
  
"He also said that he would still do O.W.L.s. somehow."  
  
"Rubbish, he can't take them out of Hogwarts!" she said. "Is there anything else you wish to share?" Hermione hesitated, opening her mouth and clsoing. "Yes?" she pressed her on.  
  
"P-professor this morning, we accidentally overheard bits er bits of conversation between Fudge and Umbridge . . ." she began. She felt a press against her shouler, letting her know to continue on the conversation. Feeling more confident that Harry gave an okay. "I-I heard that if they did find Harry, they're going to teach him an awful, awful lesson. The way that Fudge puts it, it sounds like he's giving her the permission to use an Unforgiveable on Harry. Then perhaps trying to find a reason to expell him!" She was in tears by now.  
  
McGonagall paled at the new relevation and looked to Ron for confirmation.  
  
"Yeah, I heard them saying that, we think that Harry felt that he could be expelled so he'd gone into hiding . . ." Ron said.  
  
"And he also said that there's a possiblity of having you sacked Professor!"  
  
"My goodness, that doesn't sound good at all is it?" she sat down in her chair, clearly surprised of what the two students told her. "You two aren't making this up are you?" Then she thought about the past, of how they had known about Sorcer's Stone, the times that they had been telling the truth.  
  
"Why would we?" Hermione asked softly.  
  
"R-right, I-I shall try and do something," stammered McGonagall. The two never saw her breaking down in a bit before. "First Dumbledore, then this! Hogwarts will surely be destroyed by them very soon!" Hermione and Ron looked at each other. "Very well, you two go for lunch."  
  
After lunch, where the three had eaten in the kitchens so Harry can eat some food seeing that he didn't get a chance to do so this morning for breakfast. They had gone for Potions. Double potions as well, and in roomful of Slytherins and the hypocritical, mean teacher. Proir to that, where no students haven't arrived but Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Professor," Hermione began, as Ron shut the door. "Er--" she looked around the room tentatively.  
  
"Ah, he's here isn't he?" he asked, getting up. I have prepared an place that's invisble to students so he can prepare in secrecy and leave the results on the table when he's done. Unfortunely, I won't be able to critizize him when he does something wrong and cause explosion. That's the only bad risk he has to take." He drawled, staring at the empty space that's between Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Yes sir," came Harry's reply and followed Snape to the furthest back of the room, in the dark corner where no students would not go. Harry sat down in the chair and waited for the students to file in the room. 'So far, all the classes except Charms have been smooth, how else can it go wrong?' Harry thought happily at the thought of Snape leaving him alone because he was invisble and would raise suspicions. And he had a more of a reason to pay more attention as not to do any accidents. He felt that at last, that he can do potions right. Maybe, for the rest of the year, he can scrape an E, or even an O, which he badly needed for the Auror career. If he couldn't, he could always play for Quidditch team after Hogwarts . . .  
  
At the end of Potions class, doing a brew for the today's assignment and poured some of the fluids in and corked it. As Professor Snape had said, he left it there and cleaned up his mess, feeling proud of himself. He went out of the dungeon and with Hermione and Ron.  
  
"How'd you do Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'd would say that I'll be damned if he gives me an Acceptable for the potion we brewed today." Harry replied softly.  
  
"That good of a job then?" Hermione inquired, raising eyebrows.  
  
"Of course, the thought of not being able to be ridiculed by Snape or even the Slytherins. Though they shouldn't be nice tomorrow. But I'll try to not get defensive over you guys, can't do anything with him around breathing down our necks."  
  
"True..." Hermione said.  
  
"Well, we're off to Hagrid's lessons now, I don't think you're coming are you?" Ron asked.  
  
"No," came the answer. "I think I'll visit the restricted section." He said causually.  
  
"Harry!" came the two hushed voices.  
  
"Joking, joking, but I wouldn't be if I need to learn more about defensive spells..."  
  
"Perhaps, but not when you're in this much danger already Harry," Hermione said. They reached the Entrance Hall. "Well, we'll talk to you later then." Hermione and Ron set off towards Hagrid's cabin. Harry made up his mind and went after them. It shouldn't hurt right? He thought.  
  
When Hagrid did his lesson on Chizpurfles, he regretted. Another boring, but fusterating lesson with Umbridge around making a lot of lout scribbling noises with her quill. Making Hagrid nervous and distracted. Harry wanted to spook the bloody hell out of Umbridge right there and now. But he had to hold himself back. There are plenty of opportunities for that later. Right now, the slytherins are now making crude things to Hermione and Ron about Harry.  
  
"Hey Granger, where's your scar-headed friend?" Draco asked. "Did he end up in St. Mungos now, and without Umbridge knowing?" he made a gesture of clutching to his forehead and collaspsing and faking convulsions. The slytherins cracked up loudly. Umbridge saw the commotion and walked towards them.  
  
"What's going on?' she asked softly.  
  
"Oh I was just asking them about where Potter is."  
  
"I assure you Mr. Malfoy that we're doing everything we can to find the boy," she said sweetly.  
  
"Oh but these two," pointing to Ron and Hermione, "might know where he is."  
  
"Perhaps they do . . ." she replied, staring at the two intently. "Can you two come to my office after the lesson is over?"  
  
"Yes Professor Umbridge," the two chorused.  
  
"Splendid," she went back to where she had been observing Hagrid. Ten minutes later, the bell rang, Hermione, Ron, and without their knowledge, Harry trooped up towards the Entrance Hall. Harry checked around and saw that was clear an spoke to them.  
  
"I came to his lesson anyway," Harry said softly. The two widened their eyes. "Yes, whole lesson of it," he answered thier unasked question. "So, let's go and see what SHE has to say about me, and asking you questions. I'm glad I didn't tell you where I'm hiding..." They stopped next to the door that lead to Professor Umbridge's office.  
  
Then she entered in view from the end of corridor, smiling widely at them as if they were two year olds. She unlocked her door, and what damage the nifflers had done, it seems as if they never invaded in the first place. Everything was in exact order before nifflers had attacked. "Come on in you two," she said, and they all three entered the room. "Please have a seat. I wish to serve you something to drink. Would you like some biscuits?" She offered.  
  
"Oh no thank you," Hermione replied.  
  
"Yes, I'll have some butterbeer please," Ron said at th same time as her. She shot him a look. "Er, actually, nevermind Professor."  
  
"Please, I wish to share something with you before our real conversation begin.  
  
"Oh very well," Hermione sighed.  
  
"Okay, well can I have some butterbeer?" Ron asked hopeful. He felt a sharp jab in the shoulder blade. He made no look of pain or any reaction. Harry saw a bit of compherhension dawning on him and faded away.  
  
"Of course Weasely," Umbridge said, smiling, picking something from under the desk and busied herself. "What about you dear?"  
  
"A tea will be fine Professor," she said, impatiently but nervous.  
  
"Okay," She busied herself some more, and while she was busy. Harry quickly whispered to their ears for everytime Umbridge clinked cups under the desk.  
  
'Pretend to drink,' he had said and the two nodded very slightly. Then Umbridge served them their drinks. The two began drinking their cups of tea or the Butterbeer. But not actually swallowing them and set them on the desk. What came next had taken them by surprise except for Harry. 


	5. Chapter V

Chapter five beta'd 5/8/04  
  
"Where is Sirius Black?" she asked the two.  
  
'Why couldn't she just drop it already?' Harry thought bitterly.  
  
"I don't know where he is," Hermione replied.  
  
"I don't know either," Ron said.  
  
"Hmm," she studied the two, "Where is Harry Potter?"  
  
"He didn't tell us, but he said he went into hiding," Hermione replied.  
  
"He said, that he went into hiding in the Room Of Requirements..."  
  
"Is that so?"  
  
"Yes ma'am," Ron replied.  
  
"Well, I have searched there as well, well, where is Dumbledore?"  
  
"I don't know Professor."  
  
"Me neither ma'am," he replied.  
  
Fusterated, "Okay, okay you two can leave now!" she said, a bit irratated. The two, and the invisble person left the room, and went towards the entrance hall.  
  
"That was.... a bit interesting," Hermoine started, whispering to the other two boys.  
  
"Yeah it was," Ron said.  
  
"Well, she used that same questions with me as well you know," Harry said.  
  
"Hmm, well I'm glad you didn't tell us where you're hiding, so talk to you later, night Harry."  
  
"Night mate," Ron said.  
  
"Bye you guys, keep any eye open out for anything, night," Harry siad, walking off towards Whomping Willow. He made his way down the tunnel after disabling the tree and made it to the Shrieking Shack. He went upstairs, and into the room where his trunk laid. Harry kneeled down, and opened the trunk He searched for the mirror and found in the left corner, half way from the top. Pulling the special device mirror out, and held it in both of Harry's hands.  
  
"Sirius?" Few seconds later, came a voice, and appeared the head of Sirius on the Mirror.  
  
"Harry! I heard that you went into hiding! Is it true?"  
  
"Hey, let me see that!" said another voice, and a new face appeared, it was Remus Lupin. "Harry, what are you thinking?!"  
  
"Guys, I have a good reason to."  
  
"But you need your O.W.L.s!" Remus said, disapproving him. "And deatheaters can find you and take to Voldemort.  
  
"Remus, please listen to my story, don't worry about the O.W.L.s, Snape got that taken cared of," Harry explained. "Did Snape tell you that I went into hiding?"  
  
"Yes he did," Sirius replied darkly, taking the mirror from Remus. "And how are you going to take the O.W.L.s?"  
  
"Like I said, Snape'll take care of it."  
  
"Since when he'll listen to your request?"  
  
"Just.... just trust me on this Sirius."  
  
"All right, I'll trust you about this, but Mrs. Weasely isn't very happy at all you know..."  
  
"Who isn't?" Harry muttered.  
  
"Yeah well, listen, where are you hiding?"  
  
"Snape didn't tell you?"  
  
"Of course not, all he said that you went into hiding," Lupin said, taking the mirror back.  
  
"Oh well, I guess I'll fill you in the rest.. I'm at Shrieking Shack."  
  
"Oh brillant Harry! Excellent!" Lupin said, grinning. "I hope that my old place don't scare you into nightmares at night" Harry grinned back, and laughed.  
  
"I haven't got nightmares yet, at least not relating to this house...." Harry said, especially softly at the last part of it.  
  
"Ah, well, why did you go into hiding then?"  
  
"Let's see, who caused the most problems? Hmm, who I wonder?" Harry said with sarcasm.  
  
"You don't mean, Umbridge?" Lupin asked, darkening his face.  
  
"Yeah, real great of her, so nice too," Harry said dripping with more sarcasm. "Going to give me a wonderful lesson, by giving me the Crucaitus Curse and possibly expell me."  
  
"WHAT?!" raged the two men at Harry.  
  
"You can't be kidding!" Lupin said, shocked.  
  
"She was going to give you that 'lesson'?!"  
  
"Worst thing is, Fudge gave her the permission. Some minsiter he is...."  
  
"No, that can't be!" Remus said, appalled.  
  
"Yeah well, at least I have the invisbility cloak so I can attend some classes. Which is why I let Snape know because I have to take potions.... for a job I'd like to pursue in anyways," Harry said with a shrug. "I didn't tell Professor McGonagall because she could get the sack."  
  
"McGonagall?!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, we had a bit of," Harry snickered, "incident when we were doing our Career Consult."  
  
"Oh? Who you care to tell me what happened?" Remus inquired.  
  
Harry launched into telling the whole story from Umbridge in the Career appointment as he, and setting her voice to speak in frog language. To Weasely twin escaping, which Sirius and Lupin already knew about. Obviously Mrs. Weasely had gone nut mad about their escape and dropping out. Thus furthering making Umbridge of a frog. He then explained the chaos that ensued for next several days. In some parts, Sirius was laughing his brains out, and Remus was shaking his head, laughing with mirth.  
  
"I wish I was there to cause more chaos!" Sirius exclaimed, doubling in laughter.  
  
"Heh, it was funny, ah the times were great...." Harry said, a bit dreamily.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha! Oh James would've loved this!" Sirius said, wiping laughter tear away. Harry's face seem to have crest fallen. "Oh Harry, you can't still be hung on about that are you?"  
  
"Oh, I got over it," Harry said quickly. "And well, the rest is history."  
  
"Hmmhmm," Remus thought for a minute. "Well, I guess you just have to be more careful Harry. Expulsion.. We can't risk that at all," he said, shaking his head. "Would it be alright by you if I can appare there once a while?"  
  
"Of course, I'd love to have some company," Harry said, grinning. Sirius grinned at him. "Oh yeah, you can too Sirius. You can still apparate can you?" Sirius shook his head. "Why?"  
  
"Well, I'll try Harry," Sirius said, smiling. "Don't worry, at least my apparation liscense expired ages ago, they can't track me."  
  
"Oh," Harry replied, face brightening. "Great! Hey, you think you two can move in here?" He asked hopeful. Sirius grinned at the idea and Remus too.  
  
"That's a great idea Harry!"  
  
"Though, don't tell Mrs. Weasley...." Harry said meekly. Remus just laughed, and showed the mirrored in the direction where Mrs. Weasely is sitting, frowning. "MRS. WEASLEY!" Harry said in horror. "I don't mean to hurt you, I just... don't want to get a lecture..."  
  
"Oh very well Harry, I won't, at least you gave the good reasons to go into hiding... unlike some sons I have for dropping out...." she said disapprovingly. "At least you're continuing some of your education. I want Moody to be with you when you're in school."  
  
"Moody?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Of course, he can see through invisbiltiy cloak can he not?"  
  
"Oh, well more proetection for me then," he said glumly.  
  
"It's for your own good!"  
  
"But I don't need it! I was fine today!"  
  
"But Harry, please...."  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, the reason I went into hiding is because of my own safety. I'm actually thinking rationally about this! Did you think I want to be caught by that woman or the death eaters?" Harry asked her, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, no of course not, but don't do anything rash..."  
  
" 'course..." Harry said, with a sting to his stomach. 'Don't do anything rash, that's what Sirius said last summer... well at least no dementors will come here... hopefully.' he thought darkly.  
  
"Alright, but can I at least visit you Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked hopeful.  
  
"Of couse Mrs. Weasley. In fact, tell the whole order to visit me. Can someone just perform the Fidilus charm on this house and Dumbledore being the secret keeper?"  
  
"Great idea Harry, that'll provide more safety for you," Mrs. Weasely said, clapping her hands together. "I'll tell Dumbledore."  
  
"You know where he is?" he asked.  
  
"Of couse we do, now get some sleep."  
  
"But I haven't had dinner..."  
  
"Oh well, I guess I'll bring some food over now then," she said, getting up into the kitchen. Harry grinned at the thought of being able to eat some homemade food than Hogwarts.  
  
'Not that it was bad,' he thought. 'Just it'll be nice to have a change while I'm at school...'  
  
"So, anything else Harry?" Sirius asked.  
  
"No I pretty much told you everything Sirius."  
  
"Alright, and since she's coming over, can we come too? In fact, I'll move in tonight!" Sirius said, grinning at the idea.  
  
"Sure Sirius," Harry grinned back, the idea of having his godfather and Jame's friend Remus in this very house while he attends Hogwarts. 'Finally, one of the things I wanted the most, finally is happening.... at least he won't be with Kreacher anymore...' he thought happily as he cleaned more of the house suitable for the coming visitors.  
  
Thirty minutes later, Harry heard his name calling and froze. 'No, people can't know where I am....' then he heard another call. He pinpointed where it was coming from, and it was from the mirror. 'Augh, don't get so creeped over something so trivial Harry...' "Yes?" Harry said, picking up the mirror.  
  
"We're coming now Harry," Remus said.  
  
"Okay, I was just cleaning, that's why I didn't come the first time."  
  
"Ah, you did have me worried there, but anyways, see you just in a second," he said. Literally a second later, with three soft pops, one after the other. "Ah, wow, I can hardly recognize this place! NIce job Harry," Remus said, praising.  
  
"Heh, thanks, it had to be suitable for living," Harry said, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, it is really a nice job Harry," Sirius said, examining the room. "Though the furniture needs replacing...."  
  
"yeah, there's no bed in the house...." Harry said, rubbing his back slightly  
  
"Oh, I'll provide some," Mrs. Weasely offered.  
  
"Can you really?" Harry asked, face brightening again.  
  
"Of course, though if you want some permament, we'll have to buy some..."  
  
"You can use my vault to get some Mrs. Weasely. Hmm, get five beds, really good ones too."  
  
"Okay Harry, and here's your food," she said, handing a basket full of food and drinks. "Just duplicate them, and you'll be fine by the school's end."  
  
"Thanks Mrs. Weasley, but what about the ministry? won't they send any warning, since I'm technically out of Hogwarts?"  
  
"Harry dear, don't worry about that. Don't you ever used magic on the train here and back home?"  
  
"Oh, right I guess I don't have to worry then...." Harry said, grinning, going into the small kitchen with the cabinents, and the fridge, charmed to be freezing. Though Harry will have to renew the charm every three days to keep it cold. Taking some bread and some meat and cheese. Coming back out with his sub sandwich, and sat down next to Remus. who was talking to Mrs. Weasely about Arthur at the Ministry.  
  
"You're saying that Fudge, and Percy are really mad about Harry going into hiding?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, and that's not all, there IS a hint that Harry was right about the permission. It's awful, we need a new ministry soon," she said, frowning, shaking her head. "I disapprove him!"  
  
"Well Molly, we'll just have to wait for Voldemort," ('Don't say that name!' cried Mrs. Weasley.) "Molly, you'll have to get used to that name, anyways, we'll have to wait for him to come out in the open. For all we know, he could take a lot of innocents in one go. If we're lucky, we can prevent that, and prove it to Fudge that we're right. Just give them time is all."  
  
"But Remus, I can't just sit here and wait!"  
  
"I'm afraid we will have to, Mrs. Weasley," Harry butted in, after finishing his sandwich and gulping down his Pumpkin Juice. "I don't like it, I am always being fluncuated by his stupid moods," Harry said bitterly.  
  
"What do you mean Harry?"  
  
"I feel his emotions, it's annoying really," Harry said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Oh, that's not good at all!" Mrs. Weasely, half shrieking.  
  
"I know that, in fact, he's happy now, about what I wonder," he said, sighing. "But the good news, is that Professor Snape is helping, and the emotions of his are fading somewhat. So, just give me more time."  
  
"I hope they will go away Harry, it's for your own good!" Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
"Well, at least they're fading Harry," Remus said.  
  
"Yeah well, remember when the ten Death Eaters broke out sometime in February?"  
  
"Yeah?" Sirius replied, asking.  
  
"Well, previous night before it was in the Daily Prophet, I ... I was laughing manically. I didn't know it wasn't my own laugh," Harry said with a shudder. "He hadn't felt happy in years."  
  
"Who wouldn't if you had ten of your most loyal followers out of that prison?" Sirius asked bitterly. "Now I have a cousin out there somewhere kissing the Dark Lord's robes," he said shaking his head.  
  
"Yeah well, what is it that Voldemort want to get so badly anyways?" Harry asked, cautiously. Last summer, they had nearly told him what he wanted. What the Order Members gaurding over. Harry thought it would be him, but he had to be sure. Something he can't get by stealth...  
  
"I'm sorry Harry," Mrs. Weasely began. "We can't tell you."  
  
"Why?" he asked calmly as he can without giving himself away.  
  
"Dumbledore's orders, we have to listen to him," Remus said.  
  
"It's always him!" Harry said, exploded, "Dumbledore's orders this, Dumbledore's orders that! All year I haven't as much as look at him without him looking at me, except for those two times when I wanted to attack him! I really resent him you know!" Harry said furiously. "It wouldn't have hurted if he could at least talk to me!"  
  
"Harry...." Remus said, taken aback.  
  
"No Remus, unless you can make Dumbledore to at least look at me so I won't have to attack him for the way he's treating me! Over the summer, he had been at the horrible place before I went to the Hearing, and he didn't EVEN talk to me! He could have at least reassured me, or something of sorts!"  
  
"Harry," Sirius started.  
  
"Do you have anything to say about that Sirius?!"  
  
"N-no Harry, it's just that... Dumbledore's here," Sirius finished. Harry stood there dumbly, and turned around slowly, and sure enough. He stood there, his long beard shiny brightly, his half-moon glasses over his crooked nose, his brillant blue eyes, not accompained by twinkles. He looked years older since the last time he had seen, where he had went into hiding. Just as Harry had.  
  
"D-Dumbledore--" Harry said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.  
  
"Hello Harry," he said, sighing. "I heard you went into hiding," Albus Dumbledore said, looking around the room. "Nice job of cleaning."  
  
"W-what are you doing here?"  
  
"It's what you said, I'm performing the Fidilus charm on this house," he said with a soft twinkle. "Though what you said not only moments ago made me realize what mistake I had made," he said, frowning, sighning. He raised both his fingers to rub his temples. "Let's perform it now." He muttered several incantations, spinning around slowly on the pivot where he stood. Waving his wand, and very fine, light silver mist came out and fell on the room around them. "It is done now, no one can come here without my permission." He went over to a soft looking armchair and sat down.  
  
"I guess you'll like to know what Voldemort's after Harry?"  
  
"Albus!" Mrs. Weasely started.  
  
"Yeah, I would like to know," Harry said, ignoring what Mrs. Weasley said. He stood there, defiantly, waiting for him to speak. Dumbledore looked at him, but not straight into the eyes. "Why don't you just look at me, in the eyes?!"  
  
"Because there's a shadow next to you when I do, it's dangerous. I can swear that I can see bit of red in your eyes Harry. Voldemort mustn't know about our close connection." He said, still not looking straight in the eyes, but rather on his lips when he spoke next.  
  
"Professor," Harry said as sweetly as he could, "It's not like I'll hurt you or anything."  
  
"Of course Harry," he said slowly nodding his head.  
  
"So, what does he want? Me? Am I the weapon? Is that why I'm always surrounded, even in Hogsmeade?" Dumbledore, shook his head, chuckling softly.  
  
"Where did you get that idea?"  
  
"I... well, it had to do with Mr. Weasely...." Harry said, shifting uncomfortably. "And it's thanks to Fred and George for their...." he looked at Mrs. Weasley, and let out a sly smile. "For their extendable ears at St.Mungos..." Mrs. Weasely gasped angrily at this.  
  
You don't mean...!"  
  
Flash Back  
  
". . . they searched the whole area but they couldn't find the snake anywhere, it just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Arthur, . . . But You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?"  
  
"I reckon he sent it as a lookout," growled Moody, "'cause he's not had any luck so far, has he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's facing and if Arthur hadn't been there the beast would've had much more time to look around. So Potter says he saw it all happen?"  
  
"Yes," said Mrs. Weasely. She sounded rather uneasey. "You know, Dumbledore seems almost to have been waiting for Harry to see something like this..."  
  
"Yeah well," said Moody, " there's something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that."  
  
"Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when I spoke to him this morning," whispered Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"'Course he's worried," growled Moody. "The boy's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake.... Obviously Potter doesn't realize what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him---"  
  
Harry pulled the Extendable Ear out of his own, his heart hammering very fast and heat rushing up his face. He looked around at the others. They were all staring at him, the strings still trailing from their ears, looking suddenly fearful.  
  
Flashforward  
  
"Well, I mean, I know he's trying to possess me isn't he? Is that why I have to take Occulemency lessons with Professor Snape? Am I really the weapon?" Harry asked the adults in front of him.  
  
"Well Harry," said Sirius. "You have part of it right..."  
  
"What part am I wrong about?"  
  
"You're not the 'weapon'," Dumbledore said softly.  
  
"Oh, then what is?"  
  
"A prophecy."  
  
"You never said it was that Albus!" Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
"He never really told us that Molly, so what about the prophecy?" Remus asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, but can you three please leave? This really mustn' go around in many ears."  
  
"Albus," started Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"I'm sorry Molly, but I can't tell you right now, but perhaps in due time, when Harry is ready to tell you. You will understand why," he said, looking over his half-moon glasses at Mrs. Weasley. Who huffed, and stood up, crossing her arms.  
  
"Very well, I will trust you on this," Molly said, leaving the room, followed by two men who said their quick byes for now. Dumbledore switched his sight from the door where the three had left through to Harry, again, falling on watching his mouth.  
  
"Are you prepared to hear the prophecy?" he asked. 


	6. Chapter VI

Chapter Six beta'd 5/8/04  
  
"Y-yes Headmaster," Harry nodded, trying to be nice, and patient to the old man. Who only twinkled at him. "Oh for crying out loud, please stop the twinkling!" Harry said, experhasted. Dumbledore only chuckled.  
  
"You're not the only one to say that Harry," he said, twinkling even more. Harry only sighed.  
  
"It's futile isn't it Professor?"  
  
"In a sense, yes Harry," said Dumbledore. "Now, for the Prophecy, this was made only a year before you were even born. And believe it or not, it was made by Professor Trelawney." Harry coughed in half-surprised, and half-appalled.  
  
"Wait, are you saying, everything in my life was because OF her?!" Harry asked, enraged by the fact that she made the prophecy. "Whatever she said, had ended in result of my parents?" He didn't need to say that his parents died because of the prophecy.  
  
"You don't know what the prophecy is yet, and you're lacking maturity over it already. Maybe it is unwise to tell you right now," he made an attempt to get up.  
  
"I'm sorry Professor, but, it's just that..." Harry began, wanting to know what the prophecy entails. He remember in his third year, when Trelawney had made a real prediction. The one that Wormtail, that stupid rat had run to his Dark Lord. "You know Professor, I remember when she made a prophecy in my thrid year..."  
  
"Yes, you remember that don't you?" Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling even more. "Yes, well, when I had to find a Divinition teacher to recruit. But didn't want to continue Divination classes. When I spoke with her, I didn't want to hire her. However just as I was to make my leave, she make the prediction. And I'm sorry to say, that Hog's head isn't a place to have private conversation..." Harry knew what he was talking about, never assume that you won't be overheard in Hog's head. "I thought there would be nothing worth to be overhearing, so we had our interview there. Now, here's the prophecy Harry. The reason that you've been dreaming all these months about the corridor, and made some successful trips inside to see where the room is. I'm afraid that Voldemort might use you to get the Prophecy..."  
  
"But Professor, I don't see how that can be a weapon."  
  
"That's because it reveals on how to destroy you," Dumbledore said, looking over his glasses at him, not accompanying by a single flicker of twinkle.  
  
"It-it does?" Harry asked, old man nodded at him.  
  
"Yes, and it is as said like this."  
  
'THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES . .   
  
BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM,  
  
BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES . . .  
  
AND THE DARK LORD WILL MAKE HIM AS HIS EQUAL,  
  
BUT HE WILL HAVE THE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT . . .  
  
AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER  
  
FOR NIETHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES . . .  
  
THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD  
  
WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES. . .'  
  
The either two hadn't spoke for fully two minutes, absorbing what the prophecy had told. Dumbledore finally looked at Harry, straight into the eyes, and flinched. At that moment, Harry felt snake-like feeling coursing through his veins, wanting to attack the Headmaster. Make him suffer, killing him. Harry also looked away, ashamed what he had just experinced.  
  
"Harry, you see why Voldemort is after you? And what we just shared, is the reason I cannot look into the eyes of yours. It pains me so much Harry. I cannot stand it," Dumbledore said, frowning.  
  
"I.. I don't understand the prophecy though..." Harry began, burrowing two eyebrows together in confusion.  
  
"It means, that you have the power to defeat Him. Also, that your birthday was on July 31st, as it said. As the seventh month dies. Though, the prophecy was refering to two different people at the time when the prophecy was made."  
  
"What do you mean sir?"  
  
"It could have been talking about either you or Neville. Both of your parents had run from Voldemort three times. The Prophecy lies in the depths of Department of Mysteries at the Ministry. Anything you want to ask?"  
  
"Yes sir, what if it's not me? What if it's Neville? Voldemort could have chosen the wrong person."  
  
"Very good question, you see, the prophecy said that Dark Lord will mark him as his equal," as he said this, his eyes flicked up to his scar, lingering there. "He must have seen the similarity between you and himself. As he is the half-blood as you are. Neville is pure-blooded. So he saw you as more of a danger to him than the Longbottom did. Anything else?"  
  
"How do I know what kind of power that Voldemort knows not?"  
  
"In time, it will reveal itself to you. It lies in the Department of Mysteries."  
  
"Okay . . . and, there's one more thing that's puzzling . . ." Harry began, hestiantly.  
  
"Go on," pressed Dumbledore, watching Harry's mouth.  
  
"The part about the 'Niether can live while'," Harry said.  
  
"'--the other survives'," Dumbledore finished for him. "It means that either you or Him must finish . . ." he left it there, lingering. The two didn't need to know what had needed to be said. Harry understood what he said, but couldn't believe it.  
  
'Me.. the murderer or the victim...' Harry thought, his own inner voice was screaming. Again, the two didn't talk for long time, the fire dying slowly into hot embers. Harry took this time to organize his thoughts. Without warning, Dumbledore stood up, and walked over to the door and said something that they were finished talking. The four came back in, taking their seats near Harry and Dumbledore. Harry didn't even register they were in the room now.  
  
"Harry?" Sirius asked, looking at his state. "Headmaster, what did you tell him?" He switched from Harry to Dumbledore. The old man sighed, and shook his head.  
  
"I'm sorry, but he will tell you in time. The only people who knows the full-prophecy is me and Harry. It's best to remain that way until he's ready to tell you."  
  
"Albus . . ." Mrs. Weasley began, Dumbledore held his hand up.  
  
"Please, for his safety and for the world's sake. If he knows, then we may be in trouble."  
  
"Oh, alright," she said, disprovingly, and got up. "Harry, you need to sleep now."  
  
"Yes Mrs. Weasley," he mumbled softly as Harry got up, "Good night everyone..." He went through his bedchambers, which the worn couch served as his bed for the night.  
  
For the next several weeks, consisted of attending several classes, going to private Occulemency, which had finally progressed. Thanks to Professor Snape who took the time to explain few things on building mind defenses. But only once awhile, and that Harry practiced everyday, and before going to sleep. Harry had noted that he had very peaceful sleep he had in months, and never dreamt about the corridor or the Department of Mysteries. He had dreams where everyone actually have. Normal dreams. At times, Harry found them bizzare, but reassured.  
  
One night, in Occulemency class, a week before the O.W.L.s started. Professor Snape spoke to him about the examination.  
  
"Potter," he said, putting his wand down after casting a Legilimens. Harry didn't put his wand down, still being very cautious. "As you know, in two weeks are the O.W.L.s, and I have spoken to a trustworthy examination. Who, luckily for us," drawled Professor Snape. "He is willing to give himself time for your private examination. Due to your circumstances with Professor, and Headmaster," he spat at the name, "Umbridge."  
  
"Oh thank you sir, I'll work hard for that effort Professor."  
  
"Legilimens!" The two ensued their Occulemency.  
  
Later that weekend, the Quidditch between Ron's team and against Ravenclaw. Harry had come to the match, particularly because of Hagrid wanted him to be there. But he would've went anyways.  
  
"Hey Hermione," Harry whispered, sitting in the aisle, in one of the most empty-iest box on the pitch. True they didn't have good view on the game, at least no one will feel the odd sensation of feeling invisble cloak as they went by. Umbridge, and the Inquistorial Squad sat at another box, of about four boxes away where Harry and Hermione sat. No one thought that Hermione was sitting by herself in the box she is sitting in to be odd. Since she doesn't really show a lot of interest in Quidditch games except for matches between Gryffindor and Slytherin, where she would show her true team spirit. But not in matches with other houses.  
  
"Oh hey Harry," she whispered back, watching the two teams assemble on the grass. "It's starting . . ." Harry watched the Quidditch match unfolding before him. For first several minutes, Ron wasn't doing so well. But soon, Ron seemed to have changed tactics. Because he looked much more confident, and a lot better at blocking the goals. The Gryffindors cheered loudly as Ron made a spectacularly great save from one of the Chaser's. Even Harry whooped, which caused a few Hufflepuff second years looking at Hermione warily but returned back to the match.  
  
"Ron really did it this time!" Harry whispered excitedly.  
  
"Maybe it's because the twins aren't here," Hermione whispered back, thoughtfully.  
  
"Perhaps, oh look, there's Hagrid," Harry said. The Half-giant made his way towards seemingly lonely Hermione.  
  
"Hey Hermione," then he whispered, "he's here isn' he?"  
  
"Yeah Hagrid, what is it?" Hermione replied.  
  
"Well, I was wonderin' if yeh two could come while everyone is distracted from the game . . ."  
  
"But we wanted to watch Ron, he's doing loads better in this match!" Hermione said, half yelling, but still whispering all the same.  
  
"But I'll tell yeh why I've been gettin' these," he pointed to his wounds. Hermione looked at where Harry would be, who only looked back at Hermione, but she didn't know. How was anyone to know where Harry is looking at.  
  
"Are you really Hagrid?" Harry whispered..  
  
"Yeh, please?" Hagrid pleaded. Hermione sighed, frowning.  
  
"But Hagrid, what about tonight? We'll use his cloak..." Hermione said.  
  
"Look, it's now or never," he said, getting impatient.  
  
"Plus, Ron deserves to hear what you have to say Hagrid," Harry tried. Hagrid looked really displeased, and sat down in the bench behind them. Harry and Hermione won their little arguement.  
  
"Alrigh, I'll show yeh tonight, but be careful. He's in loads more trouble now as he is now."  
  
"I know Hagrid, did you get the news last night?" Harry whispered to the big ol' guy.  
  
"Yes I did, clever place to hide into," Hermione stared at Hagrid and at the invisible place where Harry is sitting. Questioning them two, and shrugged.  
  
"I'll let you know Hermione, tonight," Harry said, after awhile. He has his eyes set on the match. Which Ron is improving dramatically. Then suddenly, he heard the Gryffindors singing. "Huh?"  
  
'WEASLEY IS OUR KING  
  
WEASELY IS OUR KING  
  
HE DIDN'T LET THE QUAFFLE IN,  
  
WEASELY IS OUR KING. . .'  
  
"No way," Harry said softly.  
  
"Yes! And look at Ron, he's even better than before!" Hermione cried. Then the three began singing softly. Ron, out in the air was smiling widely as he spot the chaser, faking right and shot to the left and did a Sloth Grip roll, and kicked the Quaffle out of the way with his left foot. And the song by the Gryffindors continued to blare around the pitch.  
  
"I guess yeh two are righ', Ron's certainly better than ever," Hagrid said, grinning.  
  
"WAIT, I THINK GINNY WEASELY SPOTTED THE SNITCH! AND IS CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY RAVENCLAW SEEKER, CHANG. THEY'RE NECK TO NECK!" The commenter Lee screamed. Harry changed his focus from Ron to Ginny. Indeed, there is the snitch, but Cho almost had her fingers around the snitch. Harry's stomach tightened. The score was only 140 to 50 nil Gryffindor. But with sudden lurch, Ginny went faster and caught the sntch. "GINNY WEASLEY CAUGHT THE SNITCH! THE SCORE IS NOW 290 TO 50 TO GRYFFINDOR! WHAT A MATCH, RON DEFINETLY IMPROVED IN THIS MATCH! GIVE THEM AN APPLAUSE TO RON! AND TO GINNY FOR THE SPECTACULAR CATCH. GRYFFINDOR TEAM TODAY HAVE PROVED US ALL WRONG WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT--"  
  
"That's enough!" McGonagall said, grabbing the mic. "We don't want to critize how badly Ron was doing in the past!"  
  
"Oh alright Professor...." All the meanwhile, the Gryffindors had run on the field to congratulate on the team's effort. Though Harry had held back otherwise he would spook the other people. Hermione had joined the cheering Gryffindors. Then Lee Jordan took the mic. "WE'RE GOING TO PARTY TONIGHT IN THE COMMON ROOM! OF COURSE, GRYFFINDORS ONLY!" Then McGonagall took the mic and put it away, shaking her head. Heaven only knows how rowdy the Gryffindors can get tonight. Harry's face fell, when they are having the party.  
  
"Harry, yeh'll come tonight to my hut along with Ron and Hermione?"  
  
"Yeah Hagrid, but what time?" asked Harry.  
  
"About midnight if yeh can," Hagrid said, getting up to walk back to his house. Harry looked at his watch, it was only 1 P.M. He had a while before heading down to Hagrids. He decided to crash the party, and maybe pull some pranks. Harry laughed at this. Maybe tonight he can have some fun with his housemates. But they had better keep their quiet about him. He slowly his made to the Gryffindor tower.  
  
He stopped at the Purple Lady, "Solace," Harry said the password.  
  
She looked around suspicously, "I don't see you but sorry, but that's not the password, it was changed three days ago," she said. Harry's stomach clenched. What was he supposed to do? Wait, of course. So Harry waited and saw a first year Gryffindor coming his way.  
  
"Animagi," said the first year and the portrait swung open. Harry immediately went inside after the first year and found Ron, in the center of attention. He went over to Hermione who was standing a bit ways away from Ron.  
  
"Hermione..."  
  
"Harry!" she mouthed, "What're you doing here?! I heard Umbridge is coming here because Lee said there'll be a party!"  
  
"Oh no.... and I wanted to have some fun too..."  
  
"I guess we'll just have to wait 'til she leaves," Hermione frowned.  
  
"Yeah... I guess I'll go up in the dorms. When she's finished inspecting or whatever she needed to do, get Ron to come to get me." Hermione gave a small nod. Just then, the portrait opened again, and this time was Umbridge. Harry decided to see what she would do, so he waited.  
  
"Good afternoon Grffindors. . ." the common room fell into immediate silence "I see you are all being rowdy," she went around the room, looking as if she's searching for someone. "Of course, Gryffindors loves to party..." she smiled at a pair of first year who looked back at her nervously. "I should know, I once saw the full-fledge party when I was here, of course I wasn't a Gryffindor..."  
  
"What house were you in Professor Umbridge?" a second year girl asked timidly.  
  
She looked at her carefully, and grinned. "Why, I was in Slytherin." Soft murming went around the common room.  
  
'Augh, no wonder. She just gave me all the more reason to hate her!' He thought bitterly. Dreaming of hexing her to Mercury and back. Or maybe somehow how to send her to the sun to burn her up instantly. His face screwed up into disgusted look, as she approached near Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Now Gryffindors, if you party anymore, I will personally put you all in detention," she said, grinning even more widedly.  
  
'Grr, abusing her position...' Harry clenched his fist so tightly, they began to bleed. The Gryffindors complained at this.  
  
"Professor we always partied and nothing ever went wrong!"  
  
"You can't do this!"  
  
"Just because you were a Slytherin doesn't mean you can controll us!"  
  
"Umbridge, you don't scare us! Get out of here or we'll hex you there and now!"  
  
"Get out woman or we'll tie you up and put you in a secret tunnel where your beloved Minister won't ever find you!"  
  
"Professor, you can't abuse your position from having our fun!"  
  
"SILENCE!" It wasn't Umbridge, but McGonagall, who came into the room. Looking absolutely miffed. "Dolores, you do not have the authority to let students have parties or not in their own house!" Umbrdige glared at Minerva.  
  
"I will not have you spoken to me like that. I do not approve your attitude towards me and the Ministry! Ah, ah, ah," Umbridge laughed in her mirth. "Perhaps it is time to..."  
  
'No, not this soon! Damnit!' Harry thought, enraged all the more at the squat, frog-like woman.  
  
"...leave Hogwarts?" Umbridge smiled at her. Who had her eyes even wider, horrorfied.  
  
"You cannot do that, who will be the head of this house? What about the classes in Transfigiuration?"  
  
"Don't worry Minerva, Professor Sinistra seem the best to do as the House of Gryffindor. As for Transfiguration, I will find one by this time tomorrow. Now pack away Minerva, you must leave the grounds in two hours." McGonagall, furious, took out her wand. "I wouldn't do that Minerva, you would have a nasty mark on your record." At this, she put her wand away, and turned to the students. Very embarrassed.  
  
"Fellow Gryffindors," she sighed, "I will be back before you will know it!" She said, glaring at Umbridge, who smiled all the more at the taller woman. "You may contact me if you wish," with that, Minerva McGonagall, the House of Gryffindor, left the common room but not so silently. Harry stood next to Hermione, stunned at what he had witnessed. Hermione looked as she look she would cry. Ron came over to Hermione, and she threw her arms around Ron, sobbing that her teacher, Head of house had left.Umbridge was still there, looking around to see any troublemakers. When she saw none, she spoke again.  
  
"Fine, as McGonagall last request, as she would have made if she was still here. You may party," Umbridge said, not smiling. "I'm only being nice to you all just this once," she said, taking on her smile again and left the common room. Hermione was still sobbing into Ron, who looked as if he didn't know how to comfort her. Harry went up to Ron.  
  
"Hey mate," Harry whispered.  
  
"Harry!" Ron and Hermione in their whisper.  
  
"Yeah, I should have done something to her, like hex or curse her," Harry said darkly.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you didn't!" Hermione reprimanded him.  
  
"You think I can even trust these housemates from not revealing I was here tonight? I would like to party...."  
  
"Oh I don't know Harry..." Hermione said, looking a bit worried. At that moment, Neville walked over to them.  
  
"Who're you two talking to?" he asked.  
  
"Nobody, just Ron."  
  
"It's okay Hermione, we can tell him," Harry said.  
  
"Harry?!" Neville asked, looking around for him.  
  
"I'm invisble, don't try to find me," Harry said.  
  
"Oh, why have you gone into hiding?" Neville asked.  
  
"It's best if you don't know the reasons just yet Neville. I will tell you when it's all CLEAR of that stupid, predjuiced, ugly, old hat woman Umbridge!" Harry said, bitterly.  
  
"Well, now that she's gone, why don't you party with us? I'm sure this is more of a celebration, and perk things up of what she damaged...."  
  
"That's just it Neville, I'm afraid that any one of them will rat me out...." Harry said, "Plus, I'm attending some classes privately with you guys."  
  
"Ah, that would explian why Hermione was so messed up the other day...." Neville said, making his conclusions.  
  
"Er--yeah Neville," Harry replied.  
  
"Well, since we're all against that stupid woman, I'm sure we won't rat you out..."  
  
"Wait, I have a test for everyone." Harry said.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"A survey," Harry replied.  
  
"How? They won't be honest if they are supportive of Umbridge..."  
  
"We're doing it annoymously," Harry explained. "On a piece of parchment, they can say yes or no if they like Umbridge. And Hermione, can you somehow make the parchment so it will only accept truth?"  
  
"Hmm... yes I can do that," Hermione replied, thoughtfully.  
  
"Great, well can we do it now so we can party sooner?" Harry said, sounding like grinning as well. Hermione got to charming the parchments, and cut them all into squares for everyone to write their answer on. Few minutes of that, Hermione finished.  
  
"Okay Harry, ready Ron? Neville?"  
  
"Yeah," chorused the three boys.  
  
Hermione then stepped on the chair, and onto the table, towering over everyone. The room fell silent in shock, that Hermione would even stand on the table. "Okay guys, I just want to see if anyone supports Umbridge..."  
  
Loud hissing, and murmuring went around the room. Hermione held her hand up for silence.  
  
"The only way we can find out is that everyone is to fill out a yes or no on this parchment. You can still remain annoymous that way if you were to say yes that you support her," more hissing and jeering at that. "I know all Gryffindors are in here, and make no mistake, I will know if someone didn't fill out the small parchment." The air in the common room was tensed by now. In few moments time, they would know if anyone in their own house support the mad woman.  
  
In the next few minutes of scribbling, and crisping of parchment, and putting in the box. Soon, from first years to seventh year put in the parchment. Hermione checked to make sure that EVERYONE had put in their answer. Then Hermione, Ron, and Neville tallied their 'surveys'. So far, half of the house said no. Hermione looked really hopeful, and few moments later. They've tallied their votes. She stood on the table again.  
  
"Well, the surveys are in..." Hermione began, nervously.  
  
"Well, are there anyone in here who likes that woman?!"  
  
"Yeah, come on Hermione!"  
  
"We wanna know!"  
  
"Okay, I'll tell you! This house," she said, grinning, "is all against Umbridge!" The house cheered and whooped at this. "However, because of this, we ask of you to be complete, and an silence. Don't speak amongst yourselves out of this out. We have soemthing to tell of you guys... Please don't tell anyone else. But there is someone tonight who wishes to.. party with us."  
  
"Who is it?" one asked.  
  
"Come on, who is it?!"  
  
"Is it someone who went into hiding?!" Lee asked, piecing things together.  
  
"Yeah Lee, go ahead," Hermione nodded towards an empty spot, which confused the house for a second. But moment later, Harry took off the cloak, appearing in front of them next to Hermione, grinning.  
  
"Hey guys, let's party!" Harry said. Then silence  
  
....  
  
....  
  
...  
  
"YEAH!" the housemates exploded, cheered in favor of Harry. For the next four hours of completely, hardcore party. Some of the Gryffindors swear that it must be shaking the very ground of Hogwarts. But no teachers came. There seem to have some firewhisky smuggled in. Which Hermione promptly took away, appalled that some would even get drunk. The chaos ensued well into the night without any sign of slowing. But with each hour, the chaos seem to have increased.  
  
The teammates were having the time of their lives while Harry cheered, and drank a lot of butterbeer. Grinning stupidly at everyone. Ron had recited some of his quidditch matches with Harry and to anyone who would listen. Some had plot to prank against the Slytherins, that seemed unthinkable and were only dreaming to do so.  
  
Then quarter to twelve with luckily not a single teacher showing up in the common room to keep quiet. Not even Umbridge. Harry excused himself along with Ron and Hermione. They said that they explained they had to help Harry to where he's sleeping at. The Gryffindors were a bit sad about it, but said their goodnights. They had said again they will keep their vows not to say that Harry was even in the common room partying with them. Harry swung the invibility cloak over himself, Hermione and Ron. They snuck out of the common room into the corridors. The purple lady asked who it was but got no answer. They went down to Hagrid's hut, and knocked on the door. Loud barkings of Fang started up, and heard Hagrid's voice.  
  
"Back Fang, back," growled a voice. Then the big man opened the door. "Harry?"  
  
"Yeah Hagrid, it's us," Harry replied.  
  
"Good, I'm glad you kept your promise. A good compromise eh?"  
  
"Yeah," Hermione replied, the three trooped in.  
  
"Well, we're goin' inter the forest," Hagrid said, picking up his crossbow.  
  
"What?!" The three asked increduosly.  
  
"Do yeh want ter know what I keep gettin' these wounds or not?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Of course we do!" Hermione said, "fine, how far in?"  
  
"Oh about half an hour of walking, c'mon," Hagrid went out of the door and to the edge of the forest. The three followed and Harry took the cloak off just beyond the edge so no one could discover his precious cloak. Then the four went in, and they said their lumos to light their way on the trails. Then the trees that were thin, started to thicken. The roots became wild and untamed. Hagrid led to where they walked through the bushes. Every few seconds they had to untangle themselves from the bushes. After half an hour, they haven't even reached their destination. They were only two- thirds of the way in.  
  
"How much longer Hagrid?" Hermione asked, experhasted, untangling herself. Hagrid stopped and turned around. Hestiating, he said.  
  
"I guess I can fill in some for yeh three," he said.  
  
"What is it Hagrid?" Ron asked, a bit spooked.  
  
"Well, yeh know that I could ge' the sack any day now. And there's something I've been tryin' ter civilize. Could yeh three promise to take care of something that I have been?" Hagrid asked nervously.  
  
The three looked at each other and then looked at Hagrid.  
  
"Oh I don't know," Ron began, remembering of the times with Norbert and other dangerous animals. "If it's anything like Norbert..."  
  
"Please, I need ter count on yeh guys!" Hagrid pleaded.  
  
"So it IS some sort of an animal!" Ron said, widening his eyes in horror. "Is it the spiders that we've stumbled in our second year?!" he said in even higher pitch.  
  
"No, not Aragog," Hagrid said, chuckling.Then Harry realized that this section of the forest have been quiet. Too quiet, it was abnormal. Not even a squirrel of skittering was about.  
  
"Um, Hagrid, it sounds... too quiet here," Harry said, observing.  
  
"Well, it's only natural," Hagrid explained not helpfully.  
  
"What IS it you want to look after?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, I'll show yeh, but will you take care of it if I get the sack?"  
  
"Oh but you're so close Hagrid!" Hermione said. "It's near end of school year."  
  
"That's not ter happen to stop Umbridge will it?"  
  
"No..." Hermione replied softly.  
  
"Then please?"  
  
"We want to see for ourselves," Ron said.  
  
"Guys, let's just promise him we'll take care of it. I'm sure we can do it," Harry said, getting tired of the arguement.  
  
"Oh fine, I guess we can, but it better not be anything life- threatening! I mean, look at you. You're hurt! Obviously something has to be dangerous," Hermione said.  
  
"Yea, well, it's gettin' loads better now. I mean, my wounds are fading now with none new. Haven't yeh notice?" The three examined more closely at his wounds.  
  
"Oh you're right Hagrid, it's getting better," Hermione said.  
  
"C'mon, it's not much further ahead," Hagrid said, turning around to lead the fifth year students from Hogwarts on. For next twenty minutes of grueling bushes and falling over roots of trees. They finally reached the clearing. Hagrid stopped and so did the other three.  
  
"Hagrid wha--?" Harry began, but Hagrid held his hand up to be quiet. Up ahead, they saw a huge lump of something furry and moving.  
  
"What's that?" Ron whispered. Hermione widened in her eyes in horror.  
  
"Hagrid you didn't!" Hermione in high whisper.  
  
"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked.  
  
"I-it-it's a giant!" Hermione said, appalled at what she's looking at. "Hagrid, you said they wouldn't come!"  
  
"Yeah, but I had ter!" Hagrid said, defensively.  
  
"Why?!" she asked, incredously.  
  
"Because the thing is.... he's my brother," Hagrid said, finished, sighing. "He was bullied by others because he was too small."  
  
"Oh yes, too small!" Hermione said, panicking.  
  
"He is compared ter others!" Hagrid said.  
  
"Hermione, let it go, it's his brother for Merlin's sake," Harry said half bitterly, and half shock. She quieted down. "How did you bring him here?"  
  
"Well, Maximine and I had split when she got tired of Grawp," Hagrid began.  
  
"Who's Grawp?" Ron asked.  
  
"Oh that's his name yeh see," Hagrid said. "Well, 'course he wanted ter go back with the others."  
  
"Why didn't you?!" Hermione said. "He would've been happier!"  
  
"Yeh don't understand, he could've died the next night if he stayed! I wanted my brother with me, yeh see..." he said. "Well, I've been trying to civilize him yeh see."  
  
Then Harry remembered Firenze's message to Hagrid. The attempt's not working, he best to drop it. "Is it.. working?" Harry asked.  
  
three could come here once a week to keep him company. No food or anything like that. He can get himself some food. Just teach him some english."  
  
"Oh yes, have some english lessons with a giant, which took nearly an hour to get in here!" Hermione said, with some hint of sarcasm. Harry and Ron sighed, but still shocked at the idea of coming here once a week to civilize a giant .  
  
"But o' course you may never have ter, yeh see, only when I get the sack. Can I count on you to keep him company?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Of course Hagrid," Harry said quickly, before his friends could argue.  
  
"Thank yeh so much! But I'll have ter warn you, take Fang with you when coming here. Centaurs aren't so keen about humans since one of his kind left to come ter Hogwarts..."  
  
"Oh.. so NOW we have to watch out for murdering centaurs too!" Hermione said, getting more sarcastic. Hagrid frowned at her for it.  
  
"Hermione. Stop. That." Ron said through his clenching jaws. Getting more paranoid about the giant sleeping.  
  
"Well, I suppose I could introduce yeh three to Grawp," Hagrid turned around and picked up a large stick to poke Grawp with. Hermione started to protest in no, but she was too late. Hagrid made a huge poke in the Grawp's shoulder blade. The giant let out a loud roar, and shook the ground.  
  
"Hey Grawpy!" Hagrid said, smiling. Immediately, the giant focused on Hagrid.  
  
"Hagger," said Grawp.  
  
"I have yeh some company! You remember I said that I might have to go away? These three will keep you company!" Amazingly enough, Grawp understood what Hagrid said, and looked behind him.  
  
"I see them, Hagger!"  
  
"Yes, it's them!" Hagrid replied.  
  
"Oh no Hagrid!" Hermione cried.  
  
"This one," pionting to Ron, "is Ron."  
  
" . . .Ron," he nodded, grinning, and his yellow teeth showed. Slavia drooping out of his mouth. Ron whimpered. Wondering if he was imagining him as dinner or as a friend.  
  
"And this one is Harry," Hagrid explained pointing to Harry.  
  
"Hairy!" Grawp said, grinning still.  
  
"Yes, Harry!" Hagrid said, approving Grawp. "And this one, is Her-- er can he call you Hermy? Hermione's difficult..."  
  
"Y-yes Hagrid," Hermione replied, eyes wide as saucer.  
  
"Great! This one is named Hermy," Hagrid said, pointing to her. Grawp leaned into her.  
  
"Hermy..." Grawp said, ready to pick her up.  
  
"Grawpy no!" Gawp pulled his hand away from Hermione, who was now behind Harry.  
  
"I am happy to see them Hagger!" Grawp said, grinning.  
  
"Yes Grawpy, but we have ter go back to the castle now," he said sadly.  
  
"Bye Hagger! Bye Ron! Bye Harry! Bye Hermy!" He walked over to a pine tree, and pulled it back to see how far it can go. Hagrid lead the three out of tthe forest with no trouble.  
  
"I don't believe this!" Hermione said, as Harry picked his cloak up, and swung over themselves.  
  
"Well, it's only until I have ter leave Hermione," Hagrid said, walking up the stairs to put his cross bow away, and came back out. The four trooped back to the castle. "Good nigh' yeh three." The three said their byes to him and went back to the common room. which was finally empty of any party. They came out of the cloak, and Hermione shook her head.  
  
"Civilizing giants! I don't BELIEVE IT!" Hermione cried.  
  
"But you have to admit, Grawp did seem civilized," Harry said.  
  
"Hmm, I suppose you're right, but he's still tied up!"  
  
"C'mon, let's just sleep now," Ron said, walking up to his dorms. "Night Hermione.  
  
"Oh fine! Good night you two!" Hermione went up to her bed and the boys turned in for the night. 


	7. Chapter VII

Chapter Seven beta'd 5/11/04  
  
As the weekend rolls by, playing some games with Sirius and Remus. Since the two hinted that someone in the order would be teaching at Hogwarts. Harry tried to ask who it was, and he knew one spot was open. Transfiguration. But the two wouldn't tell who it was, and continued to play some more exploding snaps and giving some help on Harry's homework.  
  
Then finally Monday came, with Ron, and Hermione eating their breakfast. Hermione was currently reading a book, Immediate Transfiguartion. She said that they had to prepare for a new teacher that would be coming to teach in replacing Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Come off it Hermione," Ron said, chewing off some ham.  
  
"You do know how Umbridge is like! For all we know, she could hire someone else from the Ministry!" Hermione snapped.  
  
"Hermione," Harry came and whispered between his two friend, but he didn't really need to worry. Since he was surrounded by Gryffindors, and got a glee look on Neville's face when he heard Harry's voice. "Not now Neville, later, but Hermione, don't worry. It's someone we can trust."  
  
"Oh really? Who?" Hermione inquired.  
  
"I don't know anything more than that," Harry sighed, "Sirius and Remus won't tell me who. But it is definetly someone from the order. But you mustn't be surprised or happy or anything suspicous especially..." He paused dangerously, "Umbridge might inspect the first lesson."  
  
"Oh, that would be true," Hermione said, "Well, we'll meet you there later .. Ron." She saw Umbridge coming down their way. Harry was confused when she said Ron and turned around and narrowly, but missed Umbridge by centimeters.  
  
'Oh, this is NOT good,' Harry thought, panicking. He immediately got away from her, silently and his footsteps were covered by the noise in the Great Hall.  
  
"Good morning dears," Umbridge greeted them.  
  
"Good morning Professor Umbridge," chorused Gryffindors who were the nearest to Umbridge.  
  
"Were you three talking to someone else?" Umbridge asked Ron, Hermione and Neville.  
  
"No professor, see, we were practicing our skit for one of our classes and we were required to converse with someone who is from another house so we were pretending that one was sitting with us," Hermione replied.  
  
"Oh, is that so?" Umbridge asked.  
  
"Yeah, we were all given a project in our own way. Some were going to cast some charms and some creating costumes," she explained.  
  
'Wow, she's a really good actress AND a great liar...' Harry thought, grinning at a safe distance away from Umbridge.  
  
"Oh I see, very well, have a good day," Umbridge turned to head back to her table to continue eating. (And to spy any more troublemakers in the Great Hall).  
  
"That... was too close," Harry said to them. "She was only centimeters from me!" he half whispered, half yelled.  
  
"Damn mate," Ron said, after glaring at Umbridge. "Too close of a call. Say Hermione, that was great!"  
  
"Oh, that was nothing," Hermione said, flushing with herself.  
  
"I never knew you had that in you Hermione," Neville said, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, true Gryffindor indeed," Ginny said, grinning wickedly at her. Hermione flushed even more of red, that rivals the Weasley's hair. Harry grinned, though no one could see that Harry was grinning.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll go wait in the dungeons," Harry said, "see you all there later, bye Ginny." Harry went through the doors which was already open thanks to Filch standing gaurd there. He made his way down to the dungeons and found the door locked, and decided to be out of the way should anyone come down, so he went on to the end of the corridor where no one would go for lessons. He leaned against the wall, waiting. Soon, the Slytherins and some Gryffindors came down and waited by the classroom's door. Harry heard a sneering drawling voice and perked up a little and saw Draco Malfoy insulting the Gryffindors again.  
  
If only he could hex him, if only he could trip him and round up the Slytherins and scare them really bad. Harry began to dream of ways to scare them all to their own deaths. Harry smirked at devising plots to scare Malfoy and his special group of 'friends'. He thought about whispering into Malfoy's ear, saying snide, crude insults that no one could hear. That would really scare him badly. Harry smirked again. He made his way over to Malfoy, good thing too. He was not in the center of people. He controlled his breathing so that he can't suspect anyone breathing down his neck. He leaned in a little into Draco Malfoy's left ear.  
  
"So, you think you're so good?" Harry used his fake voice, a low droning tenor voice and pulled back quickly when the blonde hair spun around wildly and saw nobody.  
  
"What is it Draco?" Pansy asked.  
  
"Er.. nothing," Draco said. Harry tried again, smirking and leaned in to say something else.  
  
"You think you own this place, strutting around, when it's really our place?" Again Harry stepped away from Malfoy quickly. He spun around even more wildly, searching the corridors and made another 180° and found his friends, looking around suspicously.  
  
"Something's bugging you isn't?" Goyle asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes.... someone's whispering to me, did anyone hear it?" Draco narrowed his eyes, watching the Gryffindors.  
  
"Uh no Draco," Pansy replied, worry evident in her face. The other slytherins shook their head, and even the Gryffindor shook their heads either. But since when did Malfoy trust them?  
  
"Alright you Gryffindors, who is doing it?" Draco asked, getting a bit more pissed. But panicking all the same.  
  
"We didn't--"  
  
"Draco Malfoy, it's all your fault that you don't have true friends," Harry said some more and stepping away.  
  
"WHO ARE YOU?!?!"  
  
"Nobody you know," said the low, tenor, and scratchy voice. "Just watch your step, and treat them nicely and you won't have to worry about... nightmares."  
  
Draco was really whimpering this time, paling with each second. The Slytherins and even the Gryffindors were panicking. But of course that was their acting, they knew it was Harry's doing.  
  
"Okay, okay, I won't make insults!"  
  
"Good," came the voice, "and if you say mudblood ever again, I will personally haunt you for the remainer time at Hogwarts." Draco let out a high pitch whimper at his answer. "Now I must go, I'll be watching you..." Then the door to the classroom opened and Snape came out, looking around at their stricken face.  
  
"Alright, what happened here?" drawled Professor Snape.  
  
"Uh, D-"  
  
"I'll speak for myself, thank you very much Pansy," Draco narrowed his eyes but still pale. "You see Professor, someone's haunting this Hogwarts, in this very corridor! I was hearing voices... they were all different. I swear there was five ghosts here! Or some spirits... I don't know, I'm going mad!" Draco was really losing it. Ron was grinning really big and Hermione looked as if she passed all of her OWLs, her Birthday, and Christmas day all in one day. Professor Snape looked around in the corridor carefully.  
  
"I will investigate Mr. Malfoy, now get in!" The students compiled without another word and soon followed by Harry with a mutter of thanks. Snape's eyebrows rose, but didn't say anything and he closed the door.  
  
For the rest of the day, which was uneventful save rumors that Draco Malfoy was beginning to lose his mind. Ron couldn't be any happier and complimented Harry about getting back at Malfoy. Hermione said the same, grinning at him.  
  
"That was bloody brilliant Harry!" Ron said, at lunch in the kitchens.  
  
"Ha, ha, I never seen Malfoy that scared before!" Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "That was wonderful."  
  
"Heh, er thanks guys, if he steps out of the line.. well you know. Even Professor Snape knows, I can't believe it, he actually let me by it. In fact, he said that he actually WANTS me to get Malfoy 'discplined' since he's not so good with people like Hermione and making insults. So, I'm going to keep it up. In fact, I'm going to the Great Hall to make sure that Malfoy is keeping his promise..."  
  
"I'm coming mate!" Ron said, wolfing down his subsandwich. Not wanting to miss a scene, and Hermione soon finished up, the trio thanked the house elves for the lunch and went up the stairs to the Great Hall. At the Slytherin table, Draco doesn't seem to even eat his lunch. Still too spooked by Harry's trick earlier. Harry grinned at how he looked, and spoke to his friend.  
  
"I'm going to spook him just a bit more, to let him know that he's always surrounded by 'me'," with that, Harry walked to the Slytherin's table, to where Draco Malfoy is sitting. He steadied his breath so he wouldn't feel the breath and leaned into his ear, and lowered his voice, disguising himself.  
  
"Glad you're not doing anything stupid," he said. Draco stiffened, and whimpered. The other Slytherins looked at Malfoy worriedly. "As you know, you're always watched. . ." Harry walked away back to his friends, snickering softly.  
  
"Heh, how was that?"  
  
"Bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed. In all of this, not a Professor, even Umbridge didn't noticed what was going on, and the trio left the Great Hall, snickering.  
  
"Ah, just rich, too rich," Ron said, standing next to the door, waiting for the door to Transfiguration classroom. Harry was looking around, anxiously, and so was Hermione. "What is it Hermione?"  
  
"Have you forgotten? We have new transfiguratoin teacher, and we haven't seen him or her at meals yet."  
  
"Oh yeah..." Ron looked around as well, waiting whoever the teacher is.  
  
"If only this cloak was to work through the walls," Harry whispered, sadly.  
  
"Yeah, too bad, but imagine the possibilities..." Ron said, grinning wickedly.  
  
"Well, I'm glad that cloak doesn't," Hermione said, huffing. "You two would be more unstoppable."  
  
"Ah Hermione, you can't blame us," Ron started. Then the door classroom opened, and popped it's head out of the door to find someone familiar greeted the three eyes.  
  
"Pro--?!" Hermione started, widening eyes in surprise.  
  
"Let me introduce myself," winked the person at the two. "Say," the person looked around in the corridor and found that Ron and Hermione was the only one there alone. "is Harry here?"  
  
"Yes, he is, but I'm so relieved you're the Professor!" Hermione said happily.  
  
"Yes, hmm, Professor Tonks sound strange, don't you think?"  
  
"I'm happy to see that you're the professor too," Harry spoke quietly.  
  
"You think you can hold back after class Harry?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, of course Tonks," with that, the four filed into the room, and soon followed by the other students, and Umbridge also came to inspect. Ever since the first student, save Hermione, Ron, and Harry, Tonks had been holding up the daily prophet to hide her face from view. She had said to the three that she would like to surprise the students here, and the three smirked, wondering what she'll scare them all with her rare powers.  
  
The fellow sixth year Gryffindors started to fill into the room, and Umbridge came in and sat in one of the dark corners. When the last student came and sat down. Tonks set down the newspaper, and smiled at everyone.  
  
"PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL!?" shouted the class, save three. Even the three had widened their eyes in surprise, completely taken aback. Even Umbridge widened her eyes.  
  
"Hem, hem," she coughed, "I do believe I did send you away Minerva." Then Tonks began to laugh, and stood up to face the board. And suddenly her hair 'fell down' to her shoulders, and faced the class again, smirking.  
  
"Wha--Professor Snape?!" Dean shouted, and the rest cowered in fear. Thinking that he had taken the polyjuice potion. Umbridge got the idea of what's going on, and shook her head, laughing heartily. Then right before their own eyes, she turned back to normal. At least that's what Harry believe is the true form, except for her red hair.  
  
"Good afternoon class!" she said, brightly.  
  
"Er, professor, how did you do that? You didn't have a wand, did you use a potion? But even then, you couldn't undergo a change two times . . ." Parvati questioned. Tonks chuckled.  
  
"I'm sure at least few people will know what Metamorphmagus is?" A few student gasped at the word. Four hands went up, including Ron, and Hermione.  
  
"Yes Lavender?"  
  
"It's an ability to change appearance at will. I heard that they're really rare! Are you born one Professor---?'  
  
"Oh goodness me, I never introduced myself!" Tonks pointed the wand at the board and said Professor Tonks on there. "You will be calling Professor Tonks, and to answer to your question, yes I am born one. To train one is very difficult."  
  
"Yeah they are..." breathed Lavender, in awe, as well as rest of the class.  
  
"Now, for the lesson today, you will be getting a partner, and using the words, Muto Legio and a word that you will change on a PERSON'S feature. So, Mr.--?" she looked at Seamus.  
  
"Mr. Finnigan," he replied tentively.  
  
"Mr. Finnigan, come up here please," she ordered. Seamus came up standing next to her, a bit nervous. "Now see, I will change the boy's nose, say, how about Professor's nose?"  
  
A pure terror appeared on his face, and a snicker went around the room. "Er--"  
  
"Yes, I will do that, watch, Muto Legio nose!" Tonks waved her wand in a back jab with a left twitch. The normal-nose of Seamus Finnigan changed into Severus Snape's infamous hook nose. Seamus screamed at his nose, feeling abnormally large. A laugh broke out among the Gryffindors.  
  
"Oh thanks for your support!" Seamus pouted.  
  
"You must have an image in your mind of what you would like a body of feature to be changed into. Please pick something simple. Girls, I advise you to not try anything in your chest region, as for the boys, well, just don't do anything drastic to your manhood," Tonks said causually, smiling.  
  
The girls and the boys gulped very nervously, and Umbridge had been writing, scribbling away her perfomance. Harry hoped that she was writing down good ones about Professor Tonks. He thought about the ability to change the look of his scar. He wonder if it would work.  
  
"Also, you cannot perform this on yourself, if you do, unimaginable things will happen to you. We had so many cases at St. Mungos who tried to change their own appearance. Always get someone to perform it on you. Which is why you will have partners. Now you may begin," Tonks said, going around the room, to make sure nothing drastically bad happens.  
  
Hermione focused on Ron, who looked really pale and nervous. "Hermione, where are you going to change...?"  
  
"Oh, I think I'll change your eye color," Hermione replied, smiling. "Muto Legio eyes!" Ron's eyes turned bright purple. "Oh, interesting look," she conjured up a mirror for Ron to look for himself.  
  
"Whoa! Bright purple... I look creepy," Ron remarked. "Okay my turn! Hmm, how about I change your skin color?" Ron offered.  
  
"But that's too advanced for you Ron, pick something simple," Hermione said. "You could miss some areas of my skin and I don't want patches thank you very much."  
  
"Are you telling me you care about your skin?" Ron said, smirking.  
  
"Hey, would you like to have dark brown patches all over you?" Hermione retorted, blushing.  
  
"Er--no, I guess not, okay fine, your nails," before he could let Hermione say anything, and since her right hand was already on the table. "Muto legio nail!" Her five nails grew three centimeters long.  
  
"Ro--! Oh!" Hermione pulled her hand to her face, studying them. "They are nice! Could you do that with my other hand Ron?" she asked politely.  
  
"Of course," Ron looked to the spot where Harry should be sitting and winked. Harry got the point, and gave the signal to Ron that he was ready. Harry muttered the incantation with Ron's mouth to seemingly like he's saying them. Her left hand also grew three centimeters as well.  
  
"Oh excellent!" Hermione studied her nails. "Oh, Parvati and Lavender will have to force me to join their 'makeover' tonight...." She looked at Ron and 'Harry', grinning. "You're really are much better now." Then Tonks came to their table, checking on them.  
  
"Whoa Ron! Your eyes are creepy," Tonks exclaimed. "It actually looks good." Ron stammered at this, not believing his ears. Orange hair and purple eyes? With freckles? Harry shook his head. "Okay so I was lying, it looks horrible with your face, especially with your hair color. Oh Hermione, how did you grow the nails so long?"  
  
"Actually Ron did them, isn't HE great?" Hermione said, trying to hint that Harry did the other hand. Tonks seem to have gotten the message because her eyes flickered to where Harry is and at Ron.  
  
"Good job, the nails are exactly the same lengths, and you too Hermione, but I'm afriad you'll have to change his eyes back. But if you like the nails..."  
  
"I would love to keep it this way, it's not so long to stop me from writing," at this, Hermione picked up her quill to see if she can write. She grinned at the notes she wrote down about the practical lesson. "I guess I can."  
  
Then the bell rang, Umbridge went up to her and spoke a few things with her, and left after the majority of students. Only Harry remained and Ron, Hermione doubled back into the room so Umbridge wouldn't get suspicious. Harry spoke up to her once his friends closed the door.  
  
"That was a great lesson Professor, but I have a question--"  
  
"Is it to hide your scar?"  
  
"Well, yes..." Harry began, taking the hood off his head, looking at the door warily. Ron went over to gaurd it and smiled at Ron gratefully.  
  
"Hm, well, I suppose we could try? Muto legio scar!" Harry felt a tingling feeling on the part where his scar is and faded. "Oh, I'm sorry, it didn't fade..."  
  
"Professor," Hermione spoke, "maybe it can change the shape of the scar? Maybe just a very small dot? I'm thinking that scar of his won't ever fade."  
  
"Oh, you might be right Hermione, let's try that shall we? Hmm, what kind of shape would you like to have? Or what she suggested?"  
  
"Yeah, a small dot will do," Harry replied anxiously. Tonks tried again, and felt the tingling feeling again and faded. "Well?"  
  
"It worked!" Hermione cried, conjuring the mirror and show it to Harry. He studied his face, on the forehead. Indeed, the scar had change into a quill-point dot.  
  
"I hope this means that I won't have to feel like my head is splitting open, but more like a puncture..." he said mostly to himself and pulled the hood back up. "Thank you professor, but what is it you want to hold back here?"  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to talk about you hiding," Tonks spoke.  
  
"Ah, and?"  
  
"And you seem to be doing very well, you even pulled this lesson off. I imagine it's the same with other classes you remained in?"  
  
"Yeah, that's right, just this one, charms, and potions."  
  
"Ah, well, dinner's should be starting now, off you go, I'll be with the teachers shortly. Good bye and Harry, take care!" she waved, walking to the door and tripped over two chairs and a desk and stood up quick. "I'm fine!" The three shook their heads, grinning and went back to the Great Hall. Dinner was uneventful except for the part where Draco keeps looking around himself, trying to find the secret voice. The Gryffindors found this to be very funny, and only a select few know the true story behind that. The story about Draco only kept to Sixth year Gryffindors and including Ginny. Harry said his good nights to his friends and left to the Shrieking Shack.  
  
As soon as he appeared at the house, after taking the cloak off once he entered the tunnel. Remus stopped him questionly, a confused look on his face.  
  
"You look different Harry," Remus remarked, Sirius looked up from his daily prophet, studying Harry.  
  
"Why! His scar is gone!" Sirius exclaimed. "Are you Harry?" he asked, suspicously. Harry laughed.  
  
"Yeah I am, otherwise I would turn you in right now. Plus, my scar didn't really go away, it's only a dot, see?" Harry pointed to a small red dot on his forehead where the lightining bolt used to be.  
  
"Oh... I see, but how?" Remus asked.  
  
"First, we ought to ask him a question that no one knows..." Sirius said, darkly, still suspicious.  
  
"Oh alright Sirius," Remus sighed, "Okay, where does Sirius live? Well used to."  
  
"12 Grimmauld place in London," Harry replied.  
  
"Yeah, it's him," Sirius said, perking up. "Now do tell us how you got a different look on your scar...."  
  
"You see, Tonks, our newly instinated professor in Transfiguration, taught us about the 'Mutus Legio, and some body feature', needless to say, it won't really disappear a scar, but rather change it's shape. Great isn't it?"  
  
"I never heard of that spell," Remus said, in thought.  
  
"Me niether, maybe it's new?" Sirius frowned in trying to remember his lessons in Hogwarts and in some of his auror training.  
  
"It has to be, otherwise we've known about it. Sounds very useful, so you can change any part of your body?"  
  
"As long as you're not the caster on yourself, bad things can happen, so you have to get someone to cast it on you," Harry explained.  
  
"Ah... well that's most unfortunate, but at least that's good otherwise crooks would always get away with it, unless, of course they use imperius or their own friends or followers," Remus said, sitting down to eat.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll do my homework now, night Remus, Sirius," with that, he went into his room, already furnished with very nice beds and very nice furniture. He set down to his homework and finally went to sleep. 


	8. Chapter VIII

Chapter eight Beta'd 5/11/04  
  
Several days later, where the OWLs are about to start. Harry had be told spefically at the begining of the class before other students arrive, to hold back. Harry said okay, since after Potions, was dinner. After making a potion in today's lesson, which was the Paralysis Potion, casuing people to be paralyzed for thee hours. When the bell rang, as Harry corked his flask, again, feeling proud of his work. As Professor Snape requested, he held back, and waited for Draco Malfoy to leave the room after speaking with the teacher.   
  
"Sir?" Harry asked, wondering what he wanted.   
  
"As you know, the OWLs are coming up," drawled Snape, "I asked a trustworthy examiner to examine your OWLs. However, he cannot do that with everyone else, so I expect you to be here every night on the days OWLs are. You understand what I'm saying Potter?"   
  
"Yes sir, like if there is Charms OWLs, then I'll take the charms in here with the examiner?" "Precisely, now be here at 6 sharp, he really cannot be waited, seeing he already gave some important time to you," Professor Snape said, boring his eyes into emerald green eyes.  
  
"Of course sir, I won't be a second late," Harry said. "Anything else sir?"  
  
"No, but how are you holding up Potter?"   
  
"Sir?" Harry asked, taken quite aback from his question.  
  
"Did you not hear what I asked you?" Snape asked, snapping at him.  
  
"Yes sir, just fine, I had a bit of difficulty at first, but other than that. It couldn't be any smoother."  
  
"What kind of difficulty?" Potions Master asked him.   
  
"Oh, like a few times that Umbridge suspected something, but," Harry grinned, though Snape can't tell if he is or not, but Snape can hear it in his voice. "Hermione is a really good liar."  
  
"I suppose she is, she just have to keep that to a minimum with me," Snape said, smirking. "Or I'll be forced to do Legilimency on her." Harry stared at him in horror.   
  
"You wouldn't do that Professor, that'll be unfair!"   
  
"I was merely jest, Potter, of course I won't perform that on her. Just have to be wary," Snape said, chuckling. Harry relaxed and shook his head.   
  
"Well sir, I guess I'll go back to the shack," Harry said. Then he heard a soft knock on the door. 'Oh no, that knock...!' he thought to himself, knowing that knock anywhere.   
  
"Come in," Snape called out, after sitting down grading papers. Umbridge entered, smiling, and she looked around the room, as if she's trying to find something, or someone in her case.   
  
"What do you want Dolores?" he asked, snapping Umbridge back into focus.  
  
"Oh, I thought I heard another voice in here..." Umbridge began, sweetly, pressing him.  
  
"I daresay that you were," Snape said, curtly.   
  
"Oh, well then I've must've been hearing things, since that poor boy, Malfoy have been hearing voices.." she looked around the room warily. Thanks to her, Harry decided to play with her.   
  
"I'm sure," Snape said, "now what are you doing down here in the first place?"  
  
"Oh, yes, of course, you do know that it's been a month, do you have Veritaserum potion now?" Snape nodded, and got up from his chair.  
  
"It only got completed this morning," he said, getting the flask.   
  
"Oh that's good to hear Severus," Dolores Umbridge said.  
  
"Yes, well," he returned with the flask, "just remember, only three drops are needed, nothing more or you'll waste them all." He drawled, reprimanding her in a way. Which caused a flush to her face, obviously angry and embarrassed.  
  
"Well, thank you Severus," said Umbridge, as she put the flask into one of her pockets in her robes. "I'll be seeing you later, good night."  
  
"Night," he replied, staring hard at her as she leaves the room and closes the door. Professor Snape casted silence charm on the room so there will be no chance for her to even listen if she were to stand next to the door.  
  
"Just you to know Potter, I've been giving her fake veritaserum, we really can't risk of having things revealed to the Ministry now can we?" Professor Snape explained.  
  
"Oh..." Harry was startled by his teacher, telling what was going on with the potion.   
  
"Well, you best be going Potter," Snape said, shuffling his papers to grade.  
  
"Okay Professor, good night sir, Occulemency lesson tomorrow?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes, tomorrow, night Potter," with that Harry left, making sure no one was in the corridors and made way back to the Shrieking Shack. He greeted his godfather and his friend, grinning with a playful tackle to Sirius.  
  
"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, ruffling Harry's hair, grinning. "How's Hogwarts?"  
  
"Oh, fine I guess," Harry replied.   
  
"Any homework?" Remus asked.  
  
"No, today was last day for classes, now I can focus completely on OWLs..."  
  
"Oh, and how are you going to take OWLs?" werewolf asked him.  
  
"Snape's going to bring an examiner in everyday on the days of OWLs in Potion's classroom at six in the afternoon. So I can sleep in and study in the early afternoon," Harry explained. "So, I can go up to the school at 5:30."  
  
"Ah, that sounds like a good plan."  
  
"Yeah, we'll help you and quiz you Harry," Sirius said, smiling. "But for this weekend, you're going to take a day off."  
  
"Really? What're we going to do?" Harry asked, frowning wounder what they could do on a day off with two guys who was a best friends of his own dad. .  
  
"Go into the Hogsmeade to have some fun of course," Sirius said, grinning.  
  
"Are you mad Sirius?" Remus exclaimed. "We weren't going to do that."  
  
"Oh come on Moony, with that spell Tonks taught us, we can't possibly be detected."  
  
"Padfoot," Remus started, and found nothing to argue with. "Oh fine, Harry would you like that?"  
  
"With Muto Legio charm? Of course!" Harry grinned, the thought of actually doing some shopping with his godfather. Remus shook his head sympathetically at two raven haired men in the supposedly haunted house.   
  
"Alright, get some studying done now, Charms is on Monday isn't it?" Remus asked Harry.  
  
"Yeah, Charms on Monday, Transfiguration on Tuesday, Astromony on Wednesday, Magical Creatures on Thursday," he paused, trying to remember. "Oh, Potions on Friday, then there's that weekend. On the following Monday, there'll be Defense Against the Dark Arts, I'll be surprised if I didn't get an Outstanding on that one."  
  
"You're right, I'll reprimand you if you don't get an Outstanding on that!" Remus chuckled, Harry looked mortified, having no one actually reprimand him for his grades he get at school. Feeling the rush of red running through his face, and dropped his gaze to the floor, obviously embarrassed. "Oh Harry, you can't actually feel that bad!"  
  
"Actually, no one has ever threatened me if I ever get bad grades..." he said meekly, remembering the times he had to fake 'dumbness' at muggle school. How he would be punished if he was smarter than Dudley. Shaking his head slightly, grinning, "and for some reason, I.. I... I feel happy." His eyes shifted to his shoe laces, as if they were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.  
  
"Nothing wrong with that!" exclaimed Remus, grinning, Sirius smiled at him as well.  
  
"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that Harry," then Sirius muttered darkly. "Those muggle fools should have treated better..."   
  
"Ah well, they'll have it coming one of those days," casually said Harry, pulling his charms notes out and began reviewing the theory. Remus widened his eyebrows in curiousity, and shook his head. For next several hours of studying and with Remus helping him to study the pratical and the theory examination. But of course, Sirius was playing around with charm work, such as using Wingardium Leviosa on objects around Harry and Remus. But at least Harry knows how to relate from each charm to an funny event to remember.   
  
"Honestly Sirius!" Remus yelled experhasted.  
  
"But Remus, I think I study better this way," Harry said, snickering. "At least I have every charm to relate to when it comes tomemorization for an event Sirius does. But I'm quite concerned of laughing manically at every question they ask me."  
  
"See Moony, he won't fail Charms!" Sirius exclaimed, protesting, but laughing all the same.  
  
"Oh fine Sirius, but at least WAIT for your turn! We are just going over what he's learned!"  
  
"Yeah, and while you do that, I'll come up with something funny!" Sirius retorted.  
  
"Well, I guess it's up to Harry," Remus looked at Harry, pleading in his eyes. Harry grinned apologetically.  
  
"But Sirius' right Remus, I think I can actually remember this way, I will be shocked if I get less than Exceeds Expecations, if not Outstanding..." Remus sighed in defeat.  
  
"Very well, at least it's more fun this way for studying..." Remus chuckled, as if in remembering something. "Ah, remember all those times we had to study before an OWLs examination Sirius?"  
  
"Oh yes!" Sirius agreed, laughing about something. "We had to pull nighter every single night, and James and I always ended up hexing each other because we were so fusterated!"  
  
"Ha, ha, I'm glad I don't have to retort to that...." Harry laughed nervously. The thought of pulling all nighter before each OWL examination is crazy. But he did hear that they all recieved really good marks, but he had to ask just in case.  
  
"Well, did you all get good marks then?" he asked the two.  
  
"Poor Peter, he didn't get good OWLs, except for DADA," Remus face lightened and then darkened.   
  
"Your father got all of them Outstanding except in Herbology, and in Astromony," Sirius said. "And I got three OWLs, one is of course Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
"Myself, I got all of them Outstanding, except for Divinition," Remus said miserbly.  
  
"Oh off it Moony, that teacher was a fake!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"Trelawney?" Harry asked.  
  
"No, it was a different teacher, apparently all Divnition teachers are doomed to be fakes for the class. If I didn't know any better, that post seems cursed just as the DADA position," Remus said, shrugging. "Now, we have to get back to studying!"   
  
"Okay, okay," Sirius waved impatiently and started helping studying for Charms on Monday for Harry. Then soon, all of the charms were reviewed and ate quick dinner. The three males finally turned in to sleep for the night.   
  
The next day, at seven in the morning, a huge black dog jumped onto Harry on his bed. Who yelped into the waking land. Feeling saliva all over his face and finally noticed it was Sirius who was licking him madly.   
  
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, suddenly in bad mood from the way he was waken. Then soon fell into fits of laughter at the situation. The big dark, black dog's tail wagged happily, licking his face some more and barked. "Alright, alright, I'm up, I'm up!" Harry threw his hand in the air, feeling defeated from not being able to sleep in. Harry got out of his bed to wash himself of any saliva Sirius had licked. Which he realized needed a shower.  
  
"Thanks a lot Sirius, I have to take a freaking shower!" The dog turned into human, barking laughing at Harry. "Oh, go ahead and laugh all you want!" he mock-pouted at Sirius. Who laughed even harder, which promptly Harry shut the door with loud bam, silencing his laughing in the bathroom. Harry shook his head, chuckling at his outbursts, and took his shower. Twenty minutes later, Harry came out, wearing blue sweater, and black baggy pants with cloak in his arms to put on once they got into Hogsmeade. Or more spefically, once they stepped out of the Shrieking Shack. He saw Remus making some breakfast and Sirius gobbling, no wait, inhaling his food like a dog with a straw.   
  
"Morning Remus, Sirius," he made himself known as he sat down to eat.  
  
"Mornin' Harry," Remus replied, looking up at him, smiling. He realized that Remus looked a bit ill.  
  
"Remus, you okay?"  
  
"Yes, just that there's full moon tomorrow, nothing I can handle, don't worry," Remus replied, grimacing yet smiling. Harry nodded acknowledging, and accepted Remus' breakfast today. "So, since no one besides Tonks, us, and your friends knows that your shape of scar has changed. So we don't have to worry about that, but let's change your mouth shape, hair color and type. How about a bowl-style hair, blonde?" Harry shook his head.   
  
"No, that sounds too Malfoyish," Harry replied, shuddering at the thought of looking like him.  
  
"Okay, how about dirty blonde then?" Remus asked.  
  
"Yeah, and I think a different eye color will do too," Harry said, "dark blue eyes will do." Once he finished eating his breakfast and faced Remus, who is about to cast them on Harry. Soon, his hair, eyes, and mouth shape changed, and examined himself in the conjured mirror and gasped.   
  
"I don't recognize myself!"   
  
"Of course you don't, if you do, then it's pointless to go out into Hogsmeade," reprimanded Remus, chuckling and turned to Sirius.  
  
"Oh no, you're not casting that on me, I think I'll come as a dog," Sirius said, still eating his breakfast though at much slower pace than when Harry arrived.  
  
"But you were so keen on doing it Padfoot, what happened now? You can't say that you are chickening out!" Remus said, half in awed.  
  
"No, fine, change my hair to buzz cut brown hair, and green eyes, make my cheeks less sullen and change my nose and mouth. I'm afraid I do have an unique nose..."  
  
"What about your nose Sirius?" Harry inquired.  
  
"Oh, when I was in Azkaban, some idiot punched me, see?" Sirius shifted to the side for him to examine, as well as Remus. Who widened in amazement.  
  
"I never noticed that... but perhaps I should, it is unique," Remus studied his nose. Sirius' nose wasn't necessarily broken, but reshaped, and seem bigger and a bit flattened. "At least you don't look like Severus." Remus chuckled. Sirius looked horrorfied at the thought.  
  
"I'm glad I don't have that Snivellius' nose!" Harry's face darkened at the name. "What Harry?"  
  
"Don't call him that," Harry said with an edge to his voice. The two older males hestiated.  
  
"Sorry Harry, I-I slipped," Sirius said.  
  
"You better not mention it around me again," he said darkly, warning them both. Who looked at each other, a bit nervously, afraid that he would blow up at them. "So when are you going to change Sirius' face?" Harry changed the subject.  
  
"Right about now..." Remus flicked his wand, and several moments of changing Sirius' features. Who soon looked like someone from America or some faraway land. "That'll do," Remus smiled.  
  
After Sirius studied himself in the mirror, checking his face, which looked more alive, a lot less sullen, and green eyes seem to give him more life in him than dark brown eyes. His hair in buzz-cut light brown hair, and sastisfied with the look at lookd at Remus.  
  
"What about you Moony?" Sirius asked, picking up his wand. Harry suddenly realized that Sirius has his wand and wondered how he even have his wand, but shook his head mentally. Thinking he'll ask about that later and Remus shook his head.  
  
"I don't need to hide myself. I can just say that you two are close friends of mine and that you two are related. So, let's give you names shall we? I know, we could all be related seeing that we all have similar hair color. So, your last names would be Lupin, easy to remember if anyone asks us. Now Sirius, what should we call you?"  
  
"Hmm, how about," Sirius began to laugh hard. "Loony Lupin?"  
  
"No, not acceptable," Remus crossed his arms, trying not to look amused but failed all the same.   
  
"Okay, okay fine Moony, what about Steve Lupin?" Sirius asked, seriously.  
  
"Sound good, actually that's my second cousin's name," Remus remarked. "But he passed away years ago so don't worry if he is asked about the tirp in Hogsmeade. As for you Harry," Remus turned to him.   
  
"Raven Lupin?" Harry smiled softly, seemingly embarrassed.   
  
"How--?" Remus was taken aback, and stared at Sirius suspiciously.   
  
"What Remus?" both males asked him, with a face of questioning look.  
  
"Nothing, just coincidences," Lupin replied. "So, since you'll be Sirius' son, you'll be my third cousin. All settled? Money bags filled?" The three checked and swung on their cloaks over themselves and Remus stepped out of the house, after checking to make sure no one was near. The three males made their way into the town and stepping into the Three Broomsticks to order two butterbeers and a Firewhisky. Harry stared at Sirius for his choice, a bit baffled at his choice, and remembered who he was and shook his head, chuckling slightly.   
  
"What Raven?" 'Steve' asked him.  
  
"Oh nothing Steve, I was just a bit surprised at your first choice once you came here in this town. I bet it's been ages since you drank one," 'Raven' replied.  
  
"I suppose so, it's been over 14 years that I had some..." he said, a bit in awed at how long the time had passed and downed some of his Firewhisky. Remus chuckled at the two, and shook his head.  
  
"Honestly, Steve would always drink that stuff every day until that day," Remus said. "He seem to have been much worse after he graduated from school."  
  
"Really Remus?" 'Raven' asked, eyes widening in wonder.  
  
"Really Raven," he replied, laughing. 'Steve laughed along with Remus, and with 'Raven' sitting between the two. Then a sneering voice shouted from behind.  
  
"Remus!"   
  
Remus Lupin turned around to face who said his name, and found face to face with Professor Snape, who glowered at the two males next to him.  
  
"WHO are they?" Snape asked, suspicously.  
  
"Oh, this is 'RAVEN'," implying the name carefully, "and this one is 'STEVE'."   
  
Snape rose his two eyebrows in horror, and turned around quickly, searching for something or someone perhaps.  
  
"You three better get out of here while you can, reckless Gryffindors!" he snarled at the three brown-haired boys. "There's an attack soon and if you DON'T leave right away..!" The three stared at him in alarm, and searched the windows. Straining their ears, before acting anything. Soon, Harry heard series of popping sounds. "Shit! I have to get away," with that, Severus Snape disapparated. The three looked at each other in horror, and whipped out their wands, and went outside and found deatheaters torturing the inhabitants of Hogsmeade.  
  
"Raven, you get back to our scantuary right now! Make sure no one sees you!" Remus ordered him, who ran in the opposite direction of Deatheaters who seem to be moving towards Hogwarts.   
  
Harry realized then, they're attacking Hogwarts with no Dumbledore, and I'm not there..! With a terrible feeling dropped in the pits of stomach and turned his face around, checking if he's not followed. But realized only one lone deatheater was at his heels. He stopped at the end of the road and faced the deatheater. He really hoped that his change of looks fooled them Death Eaters. Ten feet away, the death eater with his white mask, and in sneering voice.  
  
"Ready to die boy?!"   
  
"Never I am, but I'm ready to kill you!" 'Raven' retorted.   
  
"Such a pity, I have always seen that couragous, yet stupidity when we fought them!" taunted the Death Eater. Harry thought his voice was familiar, but didn't take chances.  
  
"At least tell me who my attacker, or I is to say, my victim is?" he asked. Then, he realized he had provoked the Death Eater who fumed.  
  
"I'm not the victim, you are!" enraged, "NO one tells me that I'm the victim, no, not Avery!"  
  
"Ah-ha, so your name is Avery? Why, I know you were tortured by Voldemort." Raven taunted, knowing that it was stupid to say that. Surely, that saying could give himself away as Harry Potter.  
  
"You DARE speak his name?! That's it! Cru--"  
  
"Petrifictus Totalis!" he casted faster than Avery and fell with a loud slam on the ground. "Now, I suppose I should give you mercy, but I shouldn't, no. I can't, not for all the suffering you've caused upon this world!" He heard a whimper coming from Avery. "Oh, so you're scared now? Good! Because," he lowered himself on the ground towards his ear, and looked up for any coming intruders or anyone and saw they were still alone. He picked up a stick, transfiguring into a steel blade as long as the stick was.   
  
Which was only a foot long, "I am Harry Potter." Which caused even more whimpers, widening his eyes in shock. With a sickening stabbing sound from the blade with his heart, which spurted out blood from high pressure. Avery died in only three seconds, and Harry realized what he did, and backed away, surprised at what he done. He had watched his breath, his last breath.   
  
"..I...I'm a murderer..." with that said softly, and finally ran back to the Shrieking Shack with no one at his heels. "Oh gawd," he said to himself, slaming the door shut behind him and leaned against it. He looked at his hands, tainted of blood. "D-does this justify what I did?" he wondered, and slid down the door, and buried his hand to his face, not caring about blood on his face. "Hermione...Ron.... Neville... Dumbledore's Army...I hope you all can withstand what's happening.... oh man," he moaned, curling up on the floor. He knew he couldn't play the hero, he couldn't risk of being caught, but only Avery and the other three knew of what Harry looked like right now. So, why can't he help the others?   
  
With new determination, and stood up, and pulled at the hatch with his wand and hurried through the tunnel, running as fast has he could to Hogwarts. His 'charmed' look will last for as long as he can take them off. So no worries of them fading. At the light's end of the tunnel and climbed up to the roots and pressed on the knob to dismobilize the Whomping Willow Tree, sprinted toward the commotion at the front gates. He saw all the staffs fighting with the death eaters. but there was too many. Even some of the sixth and seventh years were helping in battling with them. Amongst them, he saw Sirius and Rem fighting. 


	9. Chapter IX

Chapter nine beta'd 5/22/04  
  
"Crucio!" one of the Death Eaters cursed one of the staff members. Harry realized how badly they were all doing. He rose his wand in the air and shouted.  
  
"Stupefy!" the hex hurled towards the Death Eater that threw the Cruciatus Curse at the professor, which he later realized was Professor Sprout. Instantly, the crucio was pulled off of her and Death Eater knocked out. "Expillarimus!"  
  
He hurled another hex at another Death Eater whom was attacking Professor Flitwick. The Death Eater lost his wand and went hurling into the air and landed with a thud. Harry knew he had an upper hand, since no one had noticed him arriving, but now the others began to notice 'Raven' boy attacking.   
  
"Stupefy!" one of the Death Eaters shouted.  
  
'Protego!' Harry cried, deflecting the Stupefy Hex, which went into the air.  
  
"Furnunculus!" a kid yelled, whom Harry recognized as Neville. He casted the boil hex at a Death Eater who screamed in agony.   
  
"Good one Neville!" Harrry yelled, grinning. Neville looked to who shouted his name, and a face of confusion. "LOOK OUT!"  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" a woman's voice bellowed. Neville didn't registered what just happened and realized only moments too late with a face of horror. The jet of green light headed towards Neville, and dropped dead. "Ha, ha, ha!" the woman shrieked in laughter. "Wasn't that a Longbottom?! Ha, ha, ha!" Harry, feeling furious, and something inside of him snapped.   
  
Neville, the Longbottom, the family had suffered so much by the Death Eaters. He remembered when they were in St. Mungos and saw his mom, tortured beyond insanity, and their own son gone. Neville, his dormmate, his housemate. A fellow classmate who had showed so much promise in the D.A Harry had watched Neville giving his all, fighting along with him. He realized that Neville didn't know who 'Raven' really was. Feeling deep dread, that he couldn't believe another student of Hogwarts had been taken away by the green light.   
  
"YOU'RE DEAD!" Harry enraged, yelling and charging at the Neville's murderer.  
  
"Hey! Who are you?!" she yelled, noticing the dirty brown hair boy heading her way. "Well, no matter, I'll kill you too!" But all the while, Harry had his wand out in front of him, pointing at her, when he realized, a Lestrange who tortured Neville's parents, who had just killed his roommate.  
  
"Stupefy!" Harry bellowed, causing a jet of red light coming out of his wand, straight at Bellatrix and got swept off her feet and knocked out. Then Harry heard footprints coming from behind and twirled around, facing the coming person, with wand to his chest. "Si-Steve!"  
  
"H-Raven, what're you doing here!? You're supposed to be hiding back there!" he said, asking for an explantion.  
  
"Sorry, but I couldn't resist, look out!" 'Raven' shoved Sirius out of the way, conjuring the Protego charm, deflecting the Imediamenta hex back at the attacker. He recognized the attacker straight away. "Wormtail!" Harry spat. Wasting no time, the four males whom surrounded the Death Eater and yelled out.  
  
"Stupefy!" Which caused by a lot of power, because of four magical emitting rage and anger at the weakling. Being knocked off of his feet and hurled five feet into the air and landed with a sickening thud.   
  
"Wow, that doesn't look too good," someone remarked and Harry looked who said those words and saw Remus. He looked at 'Raven' and widened in shock. "H-Raven! What're you doing here!?"  
  
"I asked the same thing, but he won't go back," Sirius muttered.  
  
"Please go back, this isn't safe for you Raven," Lupin pleaded, defending another Death Eaters. Whom are coming in big numbers. "And just how did Voldemort find all of these people!?"   
  
"Where're the Aurors?" Harry asked, sending off another stunning spell.  
  
"No idea, only few Order members are here," Sirius replied. Harry then saw another guy, taller than he is, with red flamming hair and freckles.   
  
"Ron!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Huh? Who're you?" Ron replied, suspciously.  
  
"Augh mate! It's me, shush about it though," Harry said, Ron's face dawning on recognition of his five year-long best friend.  
  
"WHAT the hell are you thinking mate!? Fighting here! Though it's good to see you, impeditmenta! Bloody hell, where's the help?! We'll lose for sure! Wait, Harry!?"  
  
"Uh yeah Ron..."  
  
"Mate! You shouldn't even be here! They're drawing you out so they can capture you!" he exclaimed.  
  
"What!?" Harry looked around, but only moments too late as a Cruciatus curse being thrown at him. He let out a strangle pain cried. He fell to the floor, convulsing in pain, letting out small shrieks of agony. He felt that small shapr knives were stabbing at his chest, his limbs. Feeling as if they were pulling limb by limb, his breathing became hard to breathe, as the lungs felt extreme pain. The tingling feeling feeling much more powerful in pain, as if his leg had woken up, but with twenty-five folds over. The Death Eater laughed at the pain whom convulsed in front of their friends.  
  
"Where is Harry Potter!?" he yelled, "Or he'll be tortured to madness!"   
  
"We don't know where he is!" Remus yelled, unable to do anything but watch 'Raven' squirming in pain. "Let him go!"  
  
"Too bad," he shrugged and continued to watch the display. But not a second later, he felt a lurch of arms around his waist, tumbling him over to the floor, taking the curse off of Harry who lied there. Gasping for breath. The death eater searched who had jumped at him and realized it was Ginny. "Grr, isn't there enough of you Weasleys!?" he snarled, picking her up by the scruff of neck. "Shut up, or she gets it!" she let out a whimper. The three males stopped shouting and watched them in silence.  
  
"Good, now where's Harry Potter?" then the dirty blonde haired boy slowly got to his feet and stood difiantly against him. "Well, do you?"  
  
"Yeah, I do," he replied.  
  
"Very good, where is he?"  
  
"Right here!" he lurched forward, swinging a hook punch to the jaw and stuck the wand into one of his eyeball and screamed. Dropping Ginny to the ground, and the man fell to his knees as Harry pulled the wand back out of his socket. The others stared at him, paling deathly white. "Oh finally!" Harry looked at the gates, the aurors finally arrived. "I guess we best be going now."  
  
"Er--yeah," Ron said slowly. "Are we going to see you for the OWLs exams?"  
  
"Sorry, but I'm taking them much later in the day in one of private classrooms," Harry replied. "You okay Ginny?"  
  
"Ye-yeah thanks," Harry helped her to her feet.   
  
"Alright then, see you two later, tell Hermione I said hi... wait, is she out here?"  
  
"No, she stayed in the tower, protecting the younger years," Ron replied.  
  
"Oh that's good, I won't have to worry much now," he looked around and saw that every Death Eater had already run off including Bellatrix and Wormtail. "Though I will avenge Neville..." he muttered darkly.  
  
"Neville?" Ron asked.  
  
"You didn't see him?" he asked sadly.  
  
"W-wha-?"  
  
"He was hit by a killing curse... it's all my bloody damn fault!" Harry screamed.  
  
"No it wasn't, it was theirs," Ginny tried to comfort him.  
  
"You don't understand, I-I distracted him, ah gawd, I distracted him! I-I-I..." Harry stuttered. "I can't believe, Longbottom's don't deserve to be tortured anymore!" Harry walked away at a fast pace, leaving the two Weasleys behind and walked back to the Shrieking Shack.  
  
Several minutes later, he heard the opening of the hatch and closing. Harry had been sitting on the sofa, curled up with his knees to his face, tears falling softly. He heard the two pairs of footprints sounding through the house, as if they were searching for somoene or something. And he heard them coming nearer to the room and entered.  
  
"There you are Harry," one of them said.  
  
"Go away," muffled Harry. The two of them sighs, and shifted a little with their feet, unsure what to do next.  
  
"Harry, it's not your fault," he recognized that voice as Remus.  
  
"But I'm a murderer..." Harry said, sobbing softly.  
  
"No you're not--"  
  
"Yes I am! I dileberatly killed Avery! I killed him!" Harry tore his face from his knees, staring at the two who wore the shock expressions of their faces.  
  
"Harry--" Sirius began.  
  
"I killed him... I didn't even think twice about it... I--"  
  
"Harry, it's NOT your fault, it's Voldemort's that you should be blaming on!" Remus shot him a face of defiant. "If you ever need to blame somoene, it's him! Not yourself. . . not yourself..."  
  
". . . but . . ." Harry began, trying to argue.  
  
"No buts, and just how did you kill Avery?" Remus asked.  
  
"I . . ." Harry looked away.  
  
"You didn't use the killing curse did you!?" Sirius shouted.  
  
"No, nothing like that, I froze him and.. conjured a blade and stabbed him... I wasn't even mercyful to him! All I thought that I had to kill him..." Again the two males were left speechless. The way that Harry killed someone who was down, not being able to defend himself. The very thought of that was terrifying to think about. The three stared at each other for good twenty minutes before anyone spoke.  
  
"Listen Harry..." Remus Lupin began again. "Well, as long no one witnessed that you killed him...."  
  
"...go on Remus," he said coldly. Remus shivered under his glance.   
  
"Meaning that you won't have to worry too much about getting jailed up. Even if you did get accused, it was in self-defense wasn't it?"  
  
"I-I'm not so sure about that..." Harry looked away, staring at a fixed point in the wall. "I didn't give him a chance at all when he was frozen..." Remus sighed.  
  
"Well, I don't know what else we can do then Harry... I hope this doesn't happen again."  
  
"But I have to..." Harry said softly.  
  
"Have to do what Harry?" Sirius asked, pressing him.  
  
"I have to kill Voldemort."  
  
Then stunned silence after that, unsure what else to say.  
  
"You don't mean--" Sirius spoke.  
  
"Yeah, that stupid Prophecy, oh man, I shouldn't have had said that! Bloody hell!" Harry stood up, and kicked the sofa in anger. "I wasn't supposed to say that!" he screamed in rage, exploding a weak flower vase on an end table. "Sorry," he muttered a repairing spell. The two males didn't say anything after that, unsure what to think or say next.   
  
"I'm going to sleep," Harry announced, after another ten minutes of silence. "You better get going Remus, the moon's nearly up. See you two later." He went into his room, and closed the door, turning in for the night. 


	10. Chapter X

Chapter ten 5/6/04  
  
Warning: there's a bit of slash between Remus and Sirius, if you are against the pairing, I urge you to look in my bio for the link. There's a great essay on the pairing. Apparently it seems that Rowling somehow wants that to be a pairing. But just hints, perhaps they aren't, but it's a great read. By the way, I did plan for the pairing from the start, but I haven't able to find a great place to get them in, after all, I don't like moving too fast.  
  
"Umbridge's furious, but it's obvious that she's scared," Hermione recalled, telling what happened after the attacks of Death Eaters to Harry in the noisy dinnertime. "Fudge says that it's just a random groupings of Death Eaters but of course we don't believe that bull."  
  
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed at her language.  
  
"Well, it's true! It's only a matter of time before Voldemort shows himself!" she retorted. "Anyways, dinner's nearly over Harry, you should go take that OWL now. Good luck," she said with a grim smile. "It's not so hard..."  
  
"Don't listen to her, it's probably harder than she think it is," Ron said, chewing off a leg of roasted duck.   
  
"Thanks you guys, well I better get going, Professor Snape's getting up. Bye," Harry left the Great Hall and met up with the Potions Master on the way to the dungeon. "I'm here," he whispered.  
  
"Ah..." is all he acknowledged, other than that, he ignored him completely. At least until he reached the classroom which would serve as the room to take OWLs in. "As you do know, OWLs aren't so easy..."  
  
"Well, Hermione doesn't seem to think so," Harry shrugged off his invisibility cloak after Severus Snape temporarily locked the door. "But Ron says it is, so I'll have to be my own judge."  
  
"Wise thinking Potter, though I wouldn't give too much of a credit to you... since you act too rash as you did two days ago. It's only a miracle that I had found you three in time."  
  
"Oh I act rash now am I?" Harry replied, getting a bit mad at his Professor for throwing snide remarks at Harry. "Tell me that Avery and Neville's death isn't my fault!"   
  
"Potter, not now, he's arriving..." he said, turning his face away from Harry who only glared at him. True to his word, one of the Examiner knocked on the door. The older-black hair of the two opened the door to let him in.   
  
"Hello my dear Severus!" he remarked. "Grand isn't it? Such a bad thing that he had to hide from the Ministry. Though don't worry I won't turn you in! It's simply not my business to nose around but to examine how well they are!" Harry smiled at the examiner, having a good chord pulsing from the old man. "Now, Severus please excuse us."  
  
With a curt, short nod, and turned around, his robes billowing and twirling about in his wake and left the room into his study which is adjacent to the Corridor's entry way. The examiner turned to Harry as the door closed the door.   
  
"So much to do! Let's get it on now eh Mr. Potter?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," he replied softly. Then the old man, whom introduced himself as Teminsa Broake, gave the fifteen page-long of questions and blank places for answer. "You will start out filling the written examination part of Charms." Harry took the written examination with Quill and ink provided by Examiner Broake. He sat down in front of the desk and started answering the question. By the end of the written part, he felt confident that he did really well and only an hour and twenty minutes passed.   
  
"Sir, I'm finished," Harry spoke up after putting the quill down. He noticed that Teminsa Broake had been watching him the entire time without wavering. He felt a bit unnerved by that but otherwise didn't show it to him.   
  
"Very well, now for the practical part of Charms OWLs, please change this apple to color purple," he put the apple in front of Harry. Who got out his wand and spoke the right incantation, and turned the apple into plum-y purple color. "Excellent, now make the apple do cartwheels." Which Harry had done, making the apple doing cartwheels around the edge of the desk three times. "Very good! Very good," with that, he took a pebble out. "Make this pebble into three feet in diameter."  
  
Harry had misspoken the incantation, which had left the pebble sized into a fine sand size. "Err, sorry, I made a mistake," he spoke quickly, fixing the incantation making the sand into the specified size that Examiner want him to do.  
  
"Good, it's okay to make mistakes once a while!" he spoke, and continued the examination, which took another forty minutes. "Now, that will be all, and I expect you'll be here tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes sir, thank you very much for allowing me to take OWLs," Harry felt indebted to the examiner. Without Professor Snape, and Examiner Broake, would he not be able to even attend Hogwarts next year or so he thought. "I am indebted to you, you know..."  
  
"Harry Potter, it's nothing, as long you perform fantastically, I assure you won't have to do anything! Now, about the news lately..."  
  
"Sir?" Harry knew what was coming, about Voldemort's return and the fight with Umbridge. Or the recent attack on Hogwarts which made the students ever more cautious.   
  
"Is it really true that You-Know-Who has returned?"  
  
"Err--well yes, I'm not an attention-seeking little brat like the Daily Prophet's making me out to be. In fact, I hate publicity, and I hate to be in the lime light--"  
  
"Very well," he said, cutting him off from Harry's rambling. Teminsa started getting up from his seat. "I believe you Mr. Potter, now good night."  
  
"Night sir," with that, he swung the invisibility cloak over himself.  
  
"Ah, you have such a cloak!" he exclaimed. "Very smart indeed." He opened the door, as Harry left the room. From the study room, Professor had watched some parts of Potter's examination. Harry felt really good about the Charms OWL, which he played around with Sirius and Remus a little while before going to sleep. But not before reviewing the material for the next day.   
  
The next examination had been for the Transfiguration, and Harry couldn't have done any more smoothly except for messing up the picturing of turning a banjo into a Harp which had turned into a small sized Harp that cupids use. Other than that, Harry thought he did well. For the following days, taking Astronomy, Defense against the Dark Arts, which he thought did exceptionally well. Or so Examiner Teminsa say. He even asked him to perform the Patronus charm which he was told repeatedly that hardly anyone could do especially his own age.   
  
Finally the weekend came and spent the entire weekend studying for OWLs and moping a little over Neville's death. But Harry knew he couldn't dwell on it too much since he has OWLs to study for. He felt the morbid feeling that emitted from Hogwarts whenever he came to dinner. Hardly anyone had been laughing, and when someone did, it was usually short-lived. The only house that wasn't affected was, of course, the Slytherins.   
  
Harry found himself in some moments, remembering the times with Neville. The time at St. Mungos, how he always seem to forget things all the time. But before he thought any more about his special dorm mate, he shook himself back to reality, getting back in track of studying for the last week of exams and they would be finished. He hoped that Voldemort wouldn't try to interfere with Harry or Hogwarts for the rest of the year. He hasn't had a single vision in a long time, he couldn't even recall when he dreamed last about the Corridor. Glad, he set down the notes of three years worth of Divination. Why he had to pass that class, he didn't know. But he hoped that he would have Firenze for teacher next year. At least he didn't predict his death unlike some other professor.   
  
Now that he remembers, the Prophecy. Harry hated the thought of not being able to control his fate, how it was in the stars. Not being able to make his own choice and stay in hiding or to actually have a normal life. Harry fumed slightly at Trelawney; how could someone overhear her makings of Prophecy at Hog's Head. It was that person's fault that his parents were dead. That Voldemort could easily choose either Neville or him. Neville. 'No, stop thinking about that! You've got OWLs to worry about damnit!' Harry scolded himself and abruptly stood up from his chair. Raising suspicions from his two housemates at Shrieking Shack.  
  
"Something up Harry?" Remus asked.  
  
"Oh sure, nothing's up," Harry replied half sarcastically.   
  
"Harry, I don't like that tone," he scolded.  
  
"Sorry," he muttered and retired to his room. "Night Remus, Sirius." Harry went inside and sat on the bed, still feeling a bit miserable. He thought more about the feeling when he murdered Avery, and witnessing the death of Neville. He didn't blow the candle out, though feeling very tired. He didn't want to sleep just yet, sighing and decides to apologize Remus and Sirius. He got up from his bed, he knew that it was rude of him to snap at Remus and Sirius. They were only worried after all. He opened the door, half-sleepily but still wide awake. Whatever he expected that Remus and Sirius would be doing. But nothing like he had thought.  
  
"R-Remus? Sirius?" Harry was shocked to say. Harry had caught them kissing, but not so graphic. Just butterfly kisses.   
  
"H-Harry!" Remus shoved Sirius away from him, apparently shocked. "I thought you had fallen asleep!"  
  
"I coul-couldn't...." Harry spoke after an awkward silence. "Err--How long has this been going on?" he asked, blushing a little that he caught them in the act. Remus sighed, and Sirius smiles slightly.  
  
"Well, we've been together since late fourth year..." Remus began. Harry understood all at once. The action in the pensieve, where the girl was eyeing Sirius hopeful and then saw Remus. Then the way that Remus had acted back in the third year. The way that Remus had dropped his guard every time that he'd mentioned Sirius. When Moony brought up the topic of the news giving Dementors performing the kiss on Sirius and he'd ask how he felt about the kiss. He'd guarded his emotions then.   
  
"I-wow, that explains a lot," Harry spoke, after being speechless.  
  
"Does it?" Remus burrowed his eyebrows together.  
  
"Yeah, explains what Harry?" Sirius pressed him.  
  
"Oh, just the times when I was in my third year, and the pensieve, that little gesture that you, Sirius, didn't really pay attention to the girls, but dad did. There was so many clues, I should've known sooner. But I'm fine with it if you two been together that long..." Remus looked really relieved, smiling even more.  
  
"I'm glad you accepted this Harry. Means a lot to us. In fact, besides Lily and James, no one knew of our get togethers. Not even Peter did... and for that, I'm glad," he said a little coldly at the end.   
  
"Thanks Harry," Sirius grinned at him. "Moony's right, it means a lot to us."  
  
Harry nodded at the two, who now are holding hands but a bit shyly. "Well I mainly came back out here is, well, to err--apologize for snapping at you two earlier..." he fidgeted under their glances. Sirius chuckled a bit.  
  
"Thanks, but don't worry yourself, it's understandable, OWLs can get to your brain, making you irritable. I should know," he shifted his glance to Remus, grinning. "Moony was really irritated during the OWLs exams."  
  
"Ah he 


	11. Chapter XI

Chapter Eleven 5/7/04  
  
Then the next day arrived, the last day of examination. He studied the notes that Hermione had made copies for Harry the previous day. He was forever grateful for her lending, otherwise, he wouldn't had study this much today. Remus had divulge much of his time drilling memorization of dates and events into Harry. Saying how important in knowing history.  
  
"But Remus, I don't see why I have to learn all this rubbish," Harry complained.  
  
"Harry, you must show respect for history, if we don't know our own history, then they will most certainly repeat itself."  
  
"Is there such proof for that Remus?"  
  
"Of course, with all the wars we've had, and some of them have repeated itself. Such as Hitler for example. An evil Smuggle dictator," he explained.  
  
"Muggle dictator..? I think I remember that being mentioned at my Primary school. I heard he did was awful."  
  
"It was, he killed six million Jews, and the devastation of Muggle lives were huge. Just like with Voldemort today. If we all knew the Muggle history as well as Wizarding history, there wouldn't be much wars repeating."  
  
"True..." Harry leaned back, thinking about the killings of Jews by Hitler and the killings of Muggles by Voldemort and realized something. "You're right, history's repeating itself."  
  
"Exactly, elimination of Muggles is just like elimination of Jews, it's sad to know that there are so many prejudiced minds in this world," he sighed. Then the two didn't speak for awhile, and both males heard a soft snore in another seat across from Remus. The two inspected that Sirius had fallen asleep, with small drool coming out of his mouth onto the table.   
  
Harry looked over to Remus, smirking, and both took out their wands. Deciding to take a bit of break and play with Sirius. "Tarantellga!" both shouted, purposely waking Sirius up from the shoutings and began to dance.  
  
"Wha--HEY! Take this off of me!" Sirius exclaimed, trying every effort to stop dancing. But failing miserably as two males broke down in fits of laughter. "This isn't fair you know! Attacking a sleeping person!"  
  
"We couldn't resist Sirius," he spoke, after trying to calm himself, but broke into another mirth of laughs.   
  
"Yeah, you were snor-snorting," Remus couldn't speak well during laughing. "Snoring," he tried again. "And I was helping alone!"  
  
"Oh fine, blame it on history for being so boring!" Sirius grumbles as he dances, which now is in the art of Macrena. "Oh for god's sake, take this off!" Which caused them to crack up even more. Then after another five minutes worth of laughing and dancing. Sirius had soon laughing with the others, enjoying themselves. Remus took off the spell off Sirius who finally caught some breather.   
  
"Oh... I will get you both one day!" he panted after dancing nonstop for fifteen minutes. "Cruelty that was!" Sending Harry and Remus into another fits of laugh. Sirius shook his head at the two. "Alright, alright, that's enough," he grinned.  
  
"Whew..." Harry let out a heave of breath. "I guess I have to go back to studying huh?"  
  
"Yes Harry, we only have two hours, and I hope what I told you earlier will prep you up some more interest in history. With that, the three males went back to studying, reviewing some notes about the Goblin wars. At five, Harry stopped studying and ate his dinner before going to Hogwarts.  
  
"Good luck Harry, only last examination to do," Remus said, smiling. Harry nodded, the thought of being finished with the OWLs and finished for the year sounds very appealing.   
  
"Don't fall asleep during the examination," Sirius remarked. "It won't do you good..."  
  
"Yes, do listen to him, since HE fell asleep. Got a Dreadful in History of Magic," Moony chuckles as Sirius punched him on the shoulder playfully. Then stole a peck from Remus. "Good bye Harry, see you at ten?"  
  
"Yeah, ten, bye," Harry went down the hatch back to Hogwarts. When he sat next to Hermione and Ron, and greeted them. "Hey..."  
  
"Oh Harry!" Hermione whispered, pushing slightly at a roll of parchment towards him. Confused, he picked the parchment up. "This came today, I don't know if they know that you're at Hogwarts..."  
  
"I see.... I'll read it later," Harry said, putting the parchment into his pockets. "Thanks Hermione, so what's up, how's the last examination?"  
  
"Oh, it was tedious, but I'm glad we're finished with OWLs."  
  
"No kidding," Ron said after swallowing a meat of chicken's leg. "It was horrid and boring. It was a wonder that I didn't fall asleep..." at that, Harry laughed. "Oh what's so funny?"  
  
"Remus admitted that Sirius fell asleep during the examination in History of Magic," Hermione widened in shock.  
  
"He didn't!"  
  
"He did," he laughed more loudly.   
  
"Ha, well at least I didn't do more horribly than Sirius then," Ron smiled at this and picked up the speed in eating.  
  
"Ugh Ron, do you have to eat so fast?" Hermione's nose wrenched up in disgust.  
  
"What can I say? When something cheers me up, I eat more! Plus, I AM a growing boy..." he went back to eating. Hermione shook her head sadly. After another twenty minutes of chatting, Harry suddenly felt a pull in behind his navel. Harry widened in shock, recognizing the pull.  
  
"No!" Then his surroundings became a blur around Harry, wondering what portkey it was. He remembered the parchment that Hermione gave him and cursed. 'She wouldn't give me that! Would she...?' Then with a loud colliding thud and landed someplace dark with soft glow.   
  
"Lumos!" Someone said, lighting the area. Harry recognized the person as Lucious and saw other eleven dark features behind him. His stomach clenched, afraid of what's going to happen. "Where, and who are you!?" he demanded. Harry stayed silent, trying to figure where he is. "Is that you Potter?"  
  
He dared not move from where he is, still trying to figure out where he is. The lumos light gave that much clue, and what he saw, was full hall of small glassy, dusty orbs with inscription at the bottom. His eyebrows furrowed, trying to understand what this place is.   
  
"Alright, if you're invisible, might as well, try to make you visible!" he casted the de-disillusionment charm blindly. The fifth one hit Harry. "Ah-ha! But it isn't disillusionment charm..? How about... accio invisibility cloak!"   
  
Fear gripped at his stomach as his cloak came off of him. 'Shit!'  
  
"Well, well, well..." he drawled, smirking at him.   
  
"Malfoy," Harry sneered.   
  
"Is 'ittle baby Potter scared!?" a voice of a woman said, using mock-baby tone.   
  
"You wish Lestrange!"   
  
"Tut, tut, that's not very nice, now do us a favor and pick up that orb next to you," she said, sneering. Harry looked to where the Death Eaters were pointing at. He saw his name and the Dark Lord on the small gold plaque under the glassy orb.  
  
"You want this?" Harry asked, delaying time.  
  
"Yes, now pick it up!" Lucius responded, Harry felt a smirk playing on his face.  
  
"What will happen if I don't?"  
  
"Then she," a Death Eater spoke, shoving a body towards Harry, "gets it!" Harry stared at the body in horror. Never mind how she had treated him for all the time she's been horrible to him. Only last summer did he began to respect for the fact that she's Harry's mum's sister. More fear gripped at his stomach, clenching, trying to think what to do. "Well!?"  
  
"You promise not to kill her?" he said, clenching his jaws.   
  
"Of COURSE we promise!" Bellatrix said, using a tone that Harry didn't like. Harry glared at the woman and shifted at the orb they wanted to pick up now. Then it hit him like a pile of big rocks. The Prophecy! So he must be at the Ministry of Magic, in the depths of Department of Mysteries. If he gave the orb to them, then Voldemort would know what it entails and he would have much more determination to finish him off. He didn't want that, but he also didn't want Aunt Petunia to die either.   
  
"We don't have all night boy!" one of the Death Eaters sneered.   
  
"I'm weighing the consequences, so shut up!" Harry snapped. To say that the Death Eaters were stunned is an understatement.   
  
"How dare you try to be inferior to us!" Bellatrix exclaimed, pointing the wand at him. "Cr--"  
  
"No! We can't harm the Prophecy! Wake her up," with the commanding voice. One of the Death Eater said 'enervate' and woke her up.   
  
"Wha--Where am I!?" she squeaked, looking around fearfully. "Oh no, the freaks!"  
  
"Crucio!" Lucius Malfoy cursed the woman at his feet. Harry felt a pang of anger at him, and for his Aunt suffering.  
  
"Stop it!" yelled Harry. "I'll pick it up damnit!" When the scream didn't stop, Harry hastily picked the Prophecy up. "Stop that!" Lucius took the curse off of her, smirking.  
  
"Excellent, now hand it over," he drawled, setting his left hand out to have Harry set the Prophecy deposit on his hand.   
  
"Never! Reducto!" Harry yelled, sending the spell at the orbs around them. "Reducto!" he caused more to fall, shattering into pieces. Several silvery figures rose up and some spoke. He lurched forward, picking Aunt Petunia up and shoving his way through the Death Eaters who were now protecting their heads from the glass.  
  
A white silvery woman spoke, "...war rages on, the one with the unicorn's hair..."  
  
A serenely white man with tuff shirt said, "...shall die at the hands of the Shadows..." Harry continues to push his way and out to the small corridor-like way with all the shelves and saw the numbers and blindly ran down the right side, hoping the exit was in the direction. The figures around him still speaking, some sounding so forlornly.  
  
"...love will prevail in the end..." another woman spoke, with sad eyes.  
  
"...torment sets The Only One back, but He shall purge on..." Harry swat at his forehead, as it was sweating, and with Petunia over his shoulders, running as fast as he could. Setting as much distance between himself and the Death Eaters. Harry could clearly hear some of their sayings.  
  
"Don't stun him! We need the Prophecy!"  
  
"He's going to get away, don't let him get out of our sight!" Harry smirked at his advantage, and blindly pointed the wand at someone.  
  
"Stupefy!" He heard someone crashing with a thud.  
  
"Forget him! We need to get Harry Potter!" one yelled, Harry can still hear the foot stomps behind him, and went another go.  
  
"Impedimenta! Stupefy! Reducto!" he pointed the last spell at the shelves next to him, causing to shatter behind him as he plowed on. Harry knew he slowed the gang of Death Eaters down dramatically. But he felt something was off, Aunt Petunia was kicking him, and saw a shape of a stick from her sleeves. Widening in realization, "Aunt Petunia!?"  
  
"Stupefy!" she shrieked at Harry, but missed.   
  
"It's okay Aunt Pet--"  
  
"Stupefy!" she tried again, but Harry narrowly dodged it.  
  
"Petunia! Stop!" Harry yelled as he continued to run and finally found the door, and wrenched it open and closed it behind him. Locking the door, and panting out of breath. "Petunia..." She shoved herself away from him, pointing the wand at him, smiling evilly.  
  
"...? Petunia?"   
  
"Heh, heh, heh, thought I was your aunt? I don't think so Boy! Now hand the Prophecy over!" Harry's stomach clenched, his skin grew cold. This wasn't Aunt Petunia?  
  
"Who are you!?" Harry asked, clearly enraged, and some confusion evident on his face.   
  
"Hmm, who betrayed your parents? Who was the guy that was so small, and so feeble?" Harry's skin crawled, then his face wrenched in distaste and disgust.  
  
"Wormtail."  
  
"Very good! I thought you were just like James.... apparently not," she, or a he shrugged her shoulders.   
  
"Don't you talk about my dad like that!" Harry spat, pointing the wand at Peter.  
  
"Or you'll do what?" he asked.  
  
"You know, you're being very uncharacteristically out of character. Who knew that you were someone who had to BEG Voldemort for your life! Tell me Wormtail, why did YOU betray?" Harry said, still having his Prophecy, and wand poised at the fake Aunt Petunia. Who is slowly shifting body back to normal, and also his wand back at Harry's torso.   
  
"Am I now?" he asked, "Well, I suppose you would like to know why I betrayed? Of course, the answer was simple. I simply love to look up to stronger people. How else would I be able to save my own skin?"  
  
"You... you should've been in Slytherin!" he snarled at Petterigrew.   
  
"Yes... the old hat said that I did, but," he shrugged, "something came up."  
  
"I'm going to kill you!" he roared, shouting a curse at Wormtail. "This is for my parents! Engorgio!" Peter screamed in agony as the painful boils appeared nearly every inch of his body. "Stupefy!" cursing the rat-animagi person and knocked out cold. Harry suddenly became aware of his surroundings, he saw a bird hatching and un-hatching, a time turner turning, and the poundings on the door, trying to get through. Harry checked his Prophecy, making sure it's still clutching in his left hand, and tore out of the room in the exit opposite where he stood and stepped out into a circular room with twelve doors.   
  
"Oh crap..." he cussed, as the walls and the doors spun around him speedily in a blue blur from the torches. Then slowed down to a stop, Harry stared around, trying to pick the right door out of the room. He blindly opened the door second to his left and entered the room what seemed like an island, with sun shining. Some were gentle sounds of waves, with faint background music. "Wha--?" Harry felt calmed down somewhat. He couldn't point out what was making him feel so calming. Everything in this room seem to have everything he needed to enjoy himself. But somehow, the room felt wrong as it was missing something. He examined his environment he was in and saw several doors leading out of the room. He chose the door directly in front of him, wading into the water to open the door that seems to be standing all it's own.   
  
Harry opened the door with ease and entered the room, and realized that he must have accidentally walked into space. He blinked in shock at how the planets floated around him, the stars don't seem to even twinkle. Harry thought it must be something with the atmosphere that causes the stars to twinkle. He looked around himself, in daze, the beauty in this room, to say that it was stunning is understatement. Then behind him, he heard several foot falling, speeding to catch up with him. He twirled around, and faced to face with MacNair and Bellatrix's husband.   
  
"Ah-ha! Now you can't get away Potter!" Mr. Lestrange gleefully said.   
  
"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, pointing at MacNair, who dodged and sent a Cruciatus Curse at Harry whom Lestrange pushed the wand away from Harry into the space.   
  
"Hey!"  
  
"We're not supposed to harm him until we get the Prophecy you idiot! Accio Pro--"  
  
"Impedimenta!" Harry shouted again, sending at Lestrange whom this time got the curse full on. "Engorgio!" He sent another hex at MacNair who got minimal boils, but still very painful. Harry turned around again, and ran into another door and back out in the circular room again. The doors spun around him dizzily and slowed down.  
  
"Augh, I need to get a way out of here damnit!" He tried one of the doors and found it locked. Frowning, thinking this must be the way out of the Department of Mysteries. He knew he had to hurry or the Death Eaters will catch up with him soon. 'Augh, I could at least use that knife about now!' Harry thought, remembering the knife Sirius gave two Christmas ago. "I really need to find the exit!" No sooner than he said the 'exit' word, the door spun open. "Ah-ha!" He ran out of the circular room, and recognized the corridor as it was on the day of his Hearing the previous summer. Running towards the lift, pressing the button madly and got on the elevator. He turned around in time to see Lucius and few others sending curses and hexes at Harry but the door shut in time. He pressed the floor that leads to get out of the Ministry. He even hoped that if there was ANY guards here at the Ministry right now.   
  
Harry took this moment to calm down a little, but prepared himself for anything once he got out of there. He looked at the Prophecy in his hand again and examined a little, in awe of the beauty as soft blue light emitted from the Prophecy. He knew what entailed inside, but how would he activate it anyways..? Then he remembered the silvery figures when they came out of the orbs. All he had to do was smash it. The lift's door opened and saw that the Atrium was empty, and ran towards the place that would get him out of the there using the telephone place. After that, he wouldn't know how to get back to Hogwarts, or how to reach anyone for that matter. But Harry knew he had to get out of the Ministry as soon as possible. Harry soon heard foot steps running behind him.  
  
'Shit! I'm out in the open!' Harry looked to his left and saw the Golden Statues in the pool of water and dove behind one of the statues as a curse flew pass him. 'I really could use some help right about now...' Harry thought, as he shouted a Petrify Hex at a Death Eater, who immediately froze and fell with a thud. More curses flew his way.   
  
"Stupefy! Engorgio! Tarantalla! Incendio! Impedimenta!" Harry went into a frenzy of hexes and curses at the Death Eaters, some weren't lucky, others dodged them all and the battle continues to rage on. Harry started to feel a little worn out from shouting, and from where he was hiding. Which wasn't comfortable to say the least. His pants were trenched in water, the hiding position uncomfortable, and when he did attack the Death Eaters, he had risks of being hit. He couldn't afford to lose concentration right now. Then he heard a soft pop then a loud pop behind him. He pivoted around at his spot pointing at the Death Eater, which turned out to be Lucius.   
  
"You're quite good at fighting Potter, now please give us the Prophecy! My patience's wearing thin."   
  
"Never! Impedimenta!" Harry shouted the hex at Lucius and ran around him, to continue running at the telephone box, hoping to reach it unscathed, or at least survive. But then he heard another pop, and collided into someone. "Oof!"  
  
"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" a hissing voice said. Harry's skin went cold, even though he was sweating. "Potter, how nice to see you here," Harry took several steps away from the person. It was Voldemort, sneering at him. "Now hand over the Prophecy."  
  
"Never!" Harry spat, his mind going into full drive, trying to think fast of what to do.   
  
"Unwise," he hissed, "Accio Prophecy!" Harry lost the grip of the Prophecy and went to Voldemort's hand. Harry's mind reeled really fast and before he could even think, he yelled.  
  
"Accio Prophecy!" Harry won back the orb into his left hand again. "Impedimenta! Reducto!" He pointed the last hex at the chandelier just above him which came down crashing on Voldemort who fell to the floor. With a very sickening thud, and Harry ran around him and finally reached the telephone box.  
  
"GET HIM! DO NOT LET HIM GET AWAY!" Voldemort yelled at his servants who had been watching the little duel. Harry shut the door behind him.  
  
"C'mon, c'mon, hurry up damnit! Oh no, what if they're..." Harry couldn't finish the sentence, if he did. Then it could come true. He didn't need that, and prayed that they're not at the top, waiting for him to get out of the Telephone box. What then? If they weren't, then where could he go? Where are the members from the Order? Didn't they say they were guarding Department of Mysteries? Had one of them been hexed, stuffed and hidden away or.. Or worse? He couldn't bear at the thought. He only hoped whoever was on duty would notice their disappearance. Harry looked at his watch, and it read 11 P.M. He was amazed at how much time had passed.   
  
But Sirius and Remus, and Professor Snape would most definitely be worrying. Wouldn't they know that Harry had disappeared without a trace? Would Hermione know that he'd disappeared by the word 'no!'? If she didn't, then he wouldn't know what to do. It was hopeless, and he's good as caught once he step out of the box into Death Eater's hands again. He dreaded even more as the window panes were hit by the street lamps, and his vision crawled into view and he saw what he dreaded the most.  
  
Lucius and Bellatrix stood there, smirking evilly as the Telephone Box finally stopped.   
  
"That wasn't very nice of you to treat Dark Lord like that!" she spoke, snarling.   
  
"Well, what am I suppose to do? Surrender? I don't think so," Harry vigilantly said. "Stupefy!" he cursed another hex at Lucius Malfoy who finally got hit by a hex and knocked out. "Now it's just the two of us!" he spat.  
  
"Yes, very well," she chuckled. "Now hand over the Prophecy!"  
  
"Never! And you killed one of my friends, how DARE you torture the Longbottom's family! I'll kill you!" Harry yelled, feeling enraged once more at the woman.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha! Longbottom, why that family does have a tendency to do with the victims of Dark Ar--"  
  
Harry couldn't take it anymore, and yelled, "Crucio!" Bellatrix fell to the floor, shrieking for two seconds and got back up. Her smirk wiped away from her face.  
  
"How dare you! But indeed, was that your first time? Well Potter, you have to MEAN it! Ha, ha, ha! Pure angry, and hatred won't work for cruciatus curse. You want to have your victims to have pain, you need to enjoy it! Accio Prophe--"  
  
"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled in pure hatred. How dare she make fun of Harry, for not wanting to enjoy pain? Well, he'll show her! "I'll prove that I do enjoy watching YOU in pain! Crucio!" Harry went another go at Cruciatus Curse at the woman, who now screamed in agony. Harry chuckled at the pain, but he didn't know how to take it off... as soon he thought that, the curse was taken off of her.  
  
"Augh! How dare you! You are not Dark Lord! Ac--" Harry rammed into her, sending her down, and casting Petrificus Totalis on her and continued to run away. Harry couldn't believe it, he actually casted the Crucaitus Curse on her. Would he end up in Azkaban now? He couldn't bear at the thought of it. He really hoped that he would run into someone familiar. Heck, he hoped to run into the Minister of Magic, despite his hatred for the man. Harry slowed down as he walked into an alley way and leaned against the brick walls. Panting out of breath.  
  
'Now what?' 


	12. Chapter XII

Chapter tweleve 5/12/04  
  
'Now what?' Harry thought to himself. The train commuters are closed at this time of the night so he couldn't even try to get back to Grimmauld place if he could. Harry sat there, leaning against the brick walls of the alley way; thinking about the events that occurred in the hours that he was portkeyed to the moment he ran here. He couldn't believe that he actually used an unforgivable. Well, on a Death Eater might be okay, but still, unforgivable nonetheless. 'What's wrong with me!?' he thought, hitting his head against the wall hard. 'I should have at least killed Wormtail, for all the things he'd done to me. . . and Sirius. I should've let him kill him and none of this would've happen. How could I have let him away with it back in third year? And I should've avenged Neville's death by finishing that Lestrange off . . . No, don't think about that! You can't be a murderer anymore!' he cursed himself. 'Not after the feeling he had experienced in killing Avery back in Hogshead.'  
  
Harry brooded, furious with himself. Then it dawned on him, 'What if the Ministry found out that I used the Cruciatus Curse? Would that land me in Azkaban? Or would they let me off because I did it on a Death Eater, second right person of the Darkest Wizard in centuries no less.' Harry thought to himself, and couldn't believe that he was fooled, that Aunt Petunia was taken captive and fell for it. He cursed himself, for ever letting that happen. Of course they would never be able to capture her! . . . Or have they already? They did use the Polyjuice.. Harry hoped that his Aunt, no matter how much he hated the Dursleys, that she was okay. As well as his cousin and his, however he didn't want to, uncle. He tried not to worry too much about the Dursleys, as he had more pressing matters to think about.  
  
He should have had asked Hermione who it was from, oh wait, she didn't even know. So, that couldn't be helped at all. At least he got a few actions in, but at the same time, he didn't want to be here at all. Voldemort, he had been so close to killing him yet again. He needed to take care of Voldemort as soon as possible, but how? He didn't want any more innocent lives to be taken. No, not this war, he wouldn't let that to even happen. Let him try and kill the people he despises, and see what happens. He won't let anyone be tortured, like those Neville's parents. That family don't deserve any amount of pain, and suffering at all. He clenched his fist, getting angry all over again. How dare they take another life of Hogwarts student. Neville had been improving so much in the D.A. all year. He was so proud of him that it hurts.   
  
Friendship with Neville was nothing like he never had with anyone else, he was unique and even taught Harry some of the things unconsciously. The way he fought at the last battle, in his last moments before his death. He looked so determined, and so focused just like the times when they were practicing in D.A. Only that, Neville looked much more focused than he ever saw him but with some hint of fear. Of course, everyone has fears when they fight for the things they love. Love. Could that be the answer to everything? Voldemort certainly doesn't know love . . . Wait a minute. Harry remembered one line in the Prophecy.   
  
'. . .BUT HE WILL HAVE THE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT . . .'  
  
Could that be it? It doesn't seem likely at all, but he would test the theory sometime. But how would he be able to do that? Harry must've pondered these thoughts, since he had taken a look at his watch and saw that it was only 12:43 a.m. sighing in exhaustion, wondering how the hell he was supposed to get away from this all. Would he risk going back to the Ministry, and hope that someone from the Order be there? He didn't know what else he could do except to wait here in the alley and wait for the morning to come. Shuffling around, and finally getting to his feet, drawing in a deep breath. "Here goes nothing . . ." then he stopped himself.  
  
"But first," he glanced at the orb. "I think I should destroy this . . . after all I know what it entails." He pointed the wand at the Prophecy. "Reducto," he said softly and the glass orb shattered in his hand and the silvery mist came out of it and took shape. The shape of Trelawney. She spoke, in her strange voice as she once used in his third year, the words of the Prophecy between Harry, and Voldemort.  
  
'THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES . .  
  
BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM,  
  
BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES . . .  
  
AND THE DARK LORD WILL MAKE HIM AS HIS EQUAL,  
  
BUT HE WILL HAVE THE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT . . .  
  
AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER  
  
FOR NIETHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES . . .  
  
THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD  
  
WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES. . .'  
  
He shuddered at the part where it said neither could live while the other survives. After she was finished speaking, the figure faded into fine mist and finally disappeared.   
  
"That ought to do it," he whispered to himself, his wand in his right hand the entire time since he came, and lied against the wall in the alley way. Peering around, checking to see if the place was secured and retraced his steps.   
  
Harry dared not to drop his guards, he couldn't afford not to. Still wary of his surroundings, he found the Telephone Box. He wondered if it worked at night, but he did come up here in the first place . . . Hesitantly, he walked inside the box and dialed '62442' in the numbers. The woman's voice spoke the welcome and asked for his name and reasons of being there.  
  
"My-my name is Harry P-Potter and I am here to see if anyone is down there," he wondered if that was acceptable. Sure enough, the small nameplate came in the coin place and it read.  
  
"Harry potter: Requesting To See If Anyone Is at the Ministry" Harry thought that he should pin it in case if anyone would try to question .  
  
'Ah well, I'll worry once I get down there,' he thought as the box shook and sunk into the ground. His nerves became tingly, and his breathing quickened, anxious to see if the Death Eaters were still there, to see if Voldemort was still there. He didn't want to think that he could be trapping himself. Then a soft light kicked at the bottom and the Atrium came into his view. He stomach felt like a huge pile of bricks dropped into his stomach. Voldemort was still there!  
  
"How could you stupid servants and you let Har--" he spun around to see what was the noise. Harry cursed the Box for rattling so loud. "Ah HARRY Potter, so nice of you to return back to us! Couldn't reach to Hogwarts or anyone could you?" he sneered. Harry stepped out of the Telephone Box, glaring.  
  
"Yeah well, I got bored!" Harry said hotly, hiding his nervousness. He had to do something fast! His mind went reeling, on the fast track mode.   
  
"Well Potter, I don't know how you do it, but it seems that I couldn't reach your mind to send a vision. I wondered why, care to explain?"  
  
"I won't tell you!" Harry snapped, he couldn't let him know that Snape was the spy and that he taught Occulemency.   
  
"Very well, you are trying my patience," he said softly, looking very annoyed and experhastedly pointing the wand at Harry. "Legillmens!" he shouted and Harry felt the beginnings of probing.  
  
"NEVER!" Harry shoved him out of his own head. "Impedimenta!" Voldemort stepped to his right, and the hex hit one of the tweleve Death Eaters. Who they all seemed to have recovered from Harry's earlier defenses. Of course they would, they had over an hour, close to two hours perhaps, to recover....  
  
"My, my, you seem to be much more skilled at Occulemency than I thought. Never mind that, Legillemens!"   
  
"Protego!" Harry shouted, along with pushing him out of his head once more. But something happened. He saw flashes of a young dark haired boy being bullied by older kids in their beds. Then before he could even understand what they were saying, Voldemort pushed Harry out of his head. If he has his appearance already to kill a person twice, then his expression on his face quintuplet times as much more deaths.   
  
"YOU DARE TO DISRESPECT MY MEMORIES!" he roared, and the lamps around them shook. Harry swore that the house-elf in the Fountains quivered as he shouted. "CRUCIO!" Harry was taken aback, hit fully on by the Cruciatus Curse. He screamed even louder than he ever had, screaming as the jabs of pain covered his own body. Voldemort's wish for pain was even greater than ever, as Harry continued to scream in distress. The torment was even more unbearable. He didn't know how much longer he could stand the pain. Harry convulsed as if someone was having a major seizure, but the face of horror and anguish was upon the Boy-Who-Lived face.  
  
Then the curse was finally taken off of him. Then he tried again, "Legillmens!"  
  
This time, however, he remembered the theory, and started thinking of his friends, the undying friendship they offered. All the while, he felt him probing his mind. But Harry ignored the probes, and thought how much they, his friends, loved him, and how much he, himself loved his friends. Their tolerance was amazing, they went all the through hard times they had gone through. Isn't that love? Then quite suddenly, Voldemort yelled in rage and casting another crucio at Harry. In the midst of pain, he knew that it had worked. How else would he react like that? But now he had nothing else to focus other than his pain.   
  
Again, Voldemort took the Cruciatus Curse off, snarling, trying to hide his pain. Then he took the curse off of Harry, "Oh, I'd forgotten, where's the Prophecy?" Voldemort said, sneering, but still angry, all the mad, at Harry, who was panting for breath in the aftermath of Cruciatus Curse. "Don't worry, I'll take it from you, save the time and energy and all," he laughed. "Accio Prophecy!"  
  
But it didn't come, Harry glanced at Voldemort, grinning. He saw that the Dark Lord's face did not look happy at all anymore.  
  
"WHERE DID YOU PUT THE PROPHECY!?" His voiced rumbled around the room once again.   
  
"If you must know so badly, I hid it," Harry said, smirking. 'Better not tell him I've destroyed it...' "Where else did you think I did for the past hour and half?"  
  
"Fine! I'll search for the Prophecy, now tell me where!"   
  
"As if," Harry said sarcastically. He needed to buy some more time, others should at least arrive here soon, where the hell were the Order of the Phoenix's members are!? Weren't they supposed to be on duty? Ah, the deja vu, how nice. First dementors, now this!   
  
If possible, Voldemort got even angrier. "Potter," he grated, "if you want to die so much, then I will finish you off!"   
  
"Oh Voldemort, I forgot to tell you something," Harry spoke up. "Well, what would you do if I say that I know what Prophecy includes?"   
  
"You will not call me by Voldemort, my name is not worthy of your mouth! Half-blood!"  
  
"Funny, that contradicts against you quite much, seeing you're Half-Blo--"  
  
"CRUCIO!" He hollered, unhappy how the things were going. Harry went into another fits of pain, howling in torture, at the mercy of Voldemort. Then he took the curse off of Harry. "If you indeed know what Prophecy says, then tell me!"   
  
Harry sat up from his convulsions of torment. His face full of smug on his face. "If you so badly want to know, well, the Prophecy says that you will soon die, because I'm..." he paused for a dramatic pause, with a huge smirk. "...Immortal. That was the reason why when I was a baby, the Avada curse didn't work on me but instead, repelled on you," Harry explained, stood up, smirking. 'Good going Harry, let's see if he will buy it...'   
  
"IT CAN'T BE!" He screamed, in fear, and in shock, also some mix of anger, baffled, and finally became suspicious. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" His red eye slits went even narrower than ever.   
  
"Why would I lie? After all I did hide the Prophecy, but Dumbledore already told me what it is said," he shrugged, "It's so simple, that I'm immortal, and I will finish you off. But," he did a small yawn. Harry knew he was deliberately mocking the Darkest Lord of all time, he knew he was making him angry. "You know, I'm really bored, I think I'll finish you off some other time."  
  
He saw that Voldemort's face went from the usual paleness to a very angry shade of unnatural dark red. The Death Eaters backed away in fear and in half-awe at how angry Voldemort is. Apparently no one has never, EVER made him this angry. Harry could even sense the magical essence emitting from him. Harry silently gulped to himself.  
  
He really needed to get out, and fast. Surprisingly, what Voldemort spoke next was not of yelling.  
  
"Potter," he said in a really strained voice. "I will find a way to--" at that moment, some numbers in the fifties apparated, flooded and portkeyed into the Atrium, and one of them was none other than the Minister of Magic. Voldemort snarled. "I will find a way to destroy your immortality status!" with that, as he looked at Minister of Magic, and glared hard. Then he disapparated away along with his Death Eaters, as Fudge yelped in fear, looking around him warily. The Death Eaters had been dodging any curses or hexes thrown at them and disapparated away, however Harry dodged some of them.  
  
"Hey! I'm innocent!" he cried, and saw they no longer threw any hexes or curses. Harry took a huge heave of sighed, and lied back down, arms and legs sprawled open. But not without a smirk on his face.   
  
The people who had just arrived consisted of mostly Aurors, Order members, stared ghastly at Harry. Minster Fudge's face is now in the light shade of purple from being pale at the sight of Voldemort. Then the murmurs broke out. Most of them were panicking.  
  
"You-Know-Who's back!" one screamed after a stunned silence.  
  
"I can't believe he really is back! What are we going to do Minister!?" another shouted.   
  
"What does this mean, was Potter was telling the truth the entire time?" a man asked.  
  
"You mean Minister of Magic tried to cover this all up!?" another man exclaimed.  
  
"What did You-Know-Who mean by immortal!? Is he trying to be immortal or is Potter one!?" an elderly woman asked, unsure of who to trust.  
  
"How could you Minister? You-Know-Who's really back! Why did you cover that up for!?" a woman questioned him, panicking.   
  
"I know! I know!" Fudge screamed at them, and turned at Harry. "Mr. Potter, what are YOU doing here!?" Harry sighed, and got to his feet, standing up thinking how much he would like to sleep.  
  
"Will you believe me from now on Minister?" he said the last word sarcastically. Which caused the Minister of Magic to turn even more purple, he thought that even Vernon couldn't even achieve this shade. He nodded jerkily but Harry saw something stir in the crowds and saw Dumbledore coming in view. "Hey Professor Dumbledore," he said lightly.  
  
"Harry, you need to go back to school, the others are... quite worried."  
  
"Now just wait one minute Albus!" Fudge interrupted. "How did you get here?"  
  
Harry sighed again, "Someone gave me a portkey, it was a parchment, Hermione didn't know."  
  
"Ah, so it was a Portkey," Dumbledore said, mostly to himself.  
  
"P-portkey?" stuttered the Minister Fudge.  
  
"Yes, portkey," Harry replied sarcastically, he pulled the parchment out to show them. "It was this one, and sorry for sounding so sarcastic, it's been a tiring night."  
  
"F-fine, you will get off of this one Potter," Fudge replied, staring at the parchment warily. "What other stories do you claim to be true?" He asked, staring around at others, rather looking at Harry and Albus.   
  
"Well, Sirius's innocent, seeing that Peterigrew was here himself, and that Ced-C-Cedric Diggory was killed by Voldemort's wand."  
  
"Who used the wand?" Fudge inquired.  
  
"Well, if you actually read the Quibbler, then all questions will be answered for you. I'm sure you remember which issue it was." Harry replied, and Fudge stammered. "Can I sleep now Professor?" Harry turned to Dumbledore.  
  
"Not right now I'm afraid, but please," Dumbledore created a portkey with a 'portus,' "take this, I'll shall meet you back in the office soon." Harry nodded glumly.  
  
"Now just wait one minute! That's an illegal Portkey!"   
  
"Mr. Fudge, I insist you to let this aside for now," he said, and Harry accepted the Portkey and saw the groups of reporters coming his way. He felt relieved when the pull behind his navel started and whisked away from the Atrium. He felt relieved when the reporters were trying to question him from afar when he disappeared, glad that he didn't have to linger any moment longer. He had a bad experience about reporters in the first place, but then again, the last interview was good. But still--  
  
"UGH!" Harry collided into a hard char and toppled over onto a small table, tangling himself amongst the broken pieces of wood. "Ow... who the idiot would put---Ack!"  
  
"HARRY!" Hermione screamed, pulling him off the floor, "You're alright! Oh my god, I was so worried!" Her tears falling down as she hugged him really tight.  
  
"Ow, ow, ow Hermione!" Harry winced at the aftermath of Cruciatus Curses.   
  
"Oh Harry! I'm so sorry!" Hermione shrilled.   
  
"Her-mi-one, calm down," Harry said slowly, sitting into a plush chair somehow drawn up for him. "Ah..." Then he saw who was in the room. "Hello guys," Harry said, as if he just came back from classes or of similar things.  
  
"Mate! You're in a right state!" Ron exclaimed, staring at some of the wounds Harry'd got during the duel.   
  
"Harry, are you okay?" Remus asked, worried.   
  
"I'm--" Harry began.   
  
"Where the bloody hell did you go?" Sirius asked, studying his godson, worried about his physical and mental health.   
  
"I'm fine!" Harry said.   
  
"No you're not, you're hurt Harry," Hermione reprimanded him. "I know when you say you're fine when you're really aren't!" Harry sighed and looked around the room and saw that Severus Snape was also in the room.   
  
"Um, Professor, I--" Harry started. Then Dumbledore arrived with much more grace than Harry had earlier. 'Hi Professor Dumbledore."  
  
"Hello Harry, how are you feeling? Anyone want a lemon drop?" he asked, pointing to the container of Lemon Drops. Everyone said no except Harry, who got strange looks from everyone else.  
  
"What? I need to have something in my system for being under Cruciatus Curse often..." Everyone paled at his revelation. "I suppose you want to hear my story or ask me questions?" Everyone nodded at him, urging to continue. "Well, you see, Hermione gave me the parchment at dinner, saying that someone had owled me, and it turned out to be a portkey."  
  
"Oh Harry! I'm so sorry!" Hermione broke into a fits of tears.   
  
"I'm fine Hermione, it's not your fault that I was portkeyed. In fact I'm glad you gave that to me in time otherwise you wouldn't stand a chance."  
  
This seemed to calm Hermione down, but not much as she was still crying. "But Harry, you would've--"  
  
"Now Hermione, let me finish," Harry interrupted her who nodded. "Okay, anyways, I was portkeyed to the Prophecy room, and what's funny is that there was no Order on duty tonight. I want to know why Professor," Harry glared at the old wizard before him. Who sighed slightly.  
  
"That was my fault on my part Harry, everyone was busy tonight," he explained.  
  
"You could've set Remus as a guard!" Harry retorted.   
  
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't risk him," he explained. "Please continue Harry."  
  
"Well, there was twelve Death Eaters with me and started taunting me to pick up the Prophecy off the shelf. I refused naturally, but they threatened to kill Aunt Petunia, who was kidnapped . . ."  
  
"WHAT!?" everyone shouted, horrified. Dumbledore stood up immediately.   
  
"Wait Professor, it was just a polyjuice," Harry said hastily. This calmed everyone down considerably. "Though she did a good job of acting her part . . . perhaps you should check Dursleys after I'm finished. Anyways, so I was thinking it was really my aunt, so I picked up the Prophecy--"  
  
"Oh you didn't!" Hermione cried out as everyone groans.  
  
"Well, I'm SORRY I acted the hero," Harry said sarcastically. "At least let me finish my story with so many interruptions!" Everyone fell silence again, listening intently. But throughout his story, Snape had been silent unlike the room full of Gryffindors. "Now, with my quick thinking, I threw reducto hex everywhere, quite a sight I must say, so in the mist of that, I picked 'Aunt Petunia' up and ran out of there. I ran into this some sort of Time room and bolted the door. But while I was running, Aunt Petunia had woken up from unconscious state and started thrashing around while I was trying to defend myself. Throwing curses and hexes and the like at the Death Eater. You wouldn't believe the face I had when I saw Aunt Petunia took her wand out . . . that's when I thought things were a little fishy but she had been acting like herself so I didn't think much of it. So after I bolted the door, she pointed the wand at me, taunting me and I found out who was impersonating her..."  
  
"Who was it?" Sirius asked, urging him on.  
  
"You wouldn't believe it, it was that Wormtail," he spat at the word like poison. Then there was an uproar from Sirius, Remus, Ron, and partially Snape. With Hermione shrieked a little. "Yeah well, we dueled it out and I finally stunned him. But the door was trying to be knocked down so I tore out of there and into this strange circular room..."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, understanding all of this so far as well as the other adults. "Yeah, then there was like twelve doors around me and the walls spun around me. So I had to find my way out, first it was an island place thing then the universe place. Both of them were an amazing sight..." Harry said, remembering, in awe. "So I finally found my way out of the Universe Room, and into the circular room again. I tried another door, but it was locked . . . I had worried that it was the exit door."  
  
"Ah, the locked room, most mysterious of them all..." Dumbledore said softly.   
  
"What's in there Professor?" Harry asked.  
  
"It's a power that Voldemort does not know, something that you have that he doesn't. Now please continue," he said, steeping his fingers with a twinkle in his eyes. Harry grinned at him, knowing what he meant.  
  
"Okay, well, you can see that I was panicking, speaking out loud that I had to get out, and when I said 'exit,' I found the door. Apparently it lets you get out to the exit . . ."   
  
"Well, I'm glad you did that, I was wondering when you'd get out, like all night?" Remus remarked.   
  
"Well, that department took me about two or three hours I'd wager. Maybe a little more. Anyways, the Death Eaters were really hot on my heels, so I ran into the lift and got on. Narrowly missing some of the hexes and curses I might add... The entire time, of course, that I still had my Prophecy. They said something about not hurting me, but they did," Harry shrugged. "Sometimes they can be so stupid," he said, "no offense meant," Harry added hastily as Snape glared, but soften somewhat.  
  
"Oh none taken Potter, continue," he looked away. Harry nodded and plowed on of what happened in his absence. 


	13. Chapter XIII

Chapter thirteen 5/12/04  
  
"Anyways, when I got off the lift, I ran towards the Telephone Box, but the Death Eaters were behind me again so I dove behind the statutes at the Fountain."  
  
"Smart thinking Harry," Dumbledore said, smiling with a twinkle.   
  
"Yeah, and the Death Eaters were attacking again, and Lucius Malfoy apparated behind me and he asked for the Prophecy. I said no again, and did Impedimenta hex on him and ran towards the Box again. Only this time, Voldemort came . . . I had ran into him, literally," Harry winced at the memory. "He had accio'ed the Prophecy--" everyone did an sharp intake. "I did say not to interrupt me. But before he had a firm grip on it, I accio'ed it back and dueled with him for awhile and did a reducto at the chandelier above him. You can imagine that it came crashing on him," Harry snickered at the rememberance. Whereas everyone stared at him, terrified at the thought of crashing the chandelier on one of the Darkest Lord of all time. Professor Snape's face was the most priceless, as he had the face of shock, smug, and fear into one. "Anyways, I finally got to the Box and Voldemort wasn't exactly happy and he ordered the Death Eaters to come and get me. Of course, I was hoping that they wouldn't be waiting for me at the top. But I was wrong..."  
  
Everyone groaned a little. Seeing that Harry had kept running into Death Eaters. Harry hesitated a little, remembering the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix. Dumbledore looked at him with a questioning face. Again, Harry hoped that he couldn't read minds. Everyone looked at him, waiting forhim to continue, wondering what made him hesitate in continuing the story. Should he tell them or not? Well, they all deserve to know, and I'm sure they wouldn't dare to try and put him in Azkaban . . . would they?   
  
"Er--" Harry stratched the back of his neck, wondering how to phrase it. "Well, I saw Lucius and Bellatrix waiting there for me. I, again got Lucius, stunned him. Which, which left me and Bellatrix dueling for awhile. . ." Harry looked away. He couldn't say it at all!  
  
"What happened in your duel with her?" Sirius demanded, wondering what his cousin had done to him.   
  
"Guys, I kinda went mad, I didn't know what I was thinking, I don't know what caused me to--" Harry really couldn't continue. Why couldn't he say it?   
  
"Caused you to what?" Ron asked, staring at his best friend. Harry looked to Dumbledore, agitated, his stomach in nine twisting knots. "Mate?" Then Harry stood up fast, and paced the room.  
  
"Alright, alright, that's it! I'm-- I've--" Harry's shoulders heaved, sighing, looking down at his feet, staring as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "I did one of the unforgivables. Though I didn't do it the right time.... but I did the second time after she taunted how I could--couldn't get it right."   
  
That moment would be the moment that Harry would never forget. Hermione's face fell really pale, wideing eyes really wide. Ron's face blanched, stepping a step away from him, a little horrorfied. Sirius stared at him, a little mix of happy for getting his cousin, but also sad for using an unforgivable. Remus' face broke into small beads of sweat, paling. Severus Snape stared at him like he never saw him before. Dumbledore looked a little sad but didn't show any other feelings.  
  
"W-what curse?" Ron asked hesitantly.  
  
"The C-Cruciatus Curse," Harry looked away after saying the words.   
  
"Oh my god Harry, I can't believe you! Yo-you said you did it right the second tiime?" Hermione asked fearfully.  
  
"Y-yes, like I said, I don't know what caused me to use that one . . ."   
  
"You're telling me that you're enjoying PAIN?" Remus asked increduously. "I don't believe this!"   
  
"Y-you're not sending me to Azkaban are you?" Harry asked feebly. Everyone fell silent again and looked to Dumbledore. "Plus, it's not like I'll whip that curse at everyone I hate, it should be okay against Death Eaters right? I had to avenge Neville! Though I didn't hold her under that curse for more than one minute... I kinda got sick of her screaming in pain..." Harry sighed, still not looking at everyone. "I had to avenge Neville..."   
  
"But it's still wrong! You had her under that for a minute, that's wrong Harry!" Hermione shrilled again.   
  
"As if I don't feel bad already," Harry muttered but everyone heard what he said.   
  
"Well Potter, I'm most surprised at you," Snape spoke up. "I'd never thought you would do that."   
  
"Exactly, I don't know why I whipped that one out. Honestly," Harry said, looking really terrible. He sat back in his plush chair. "And after I had shot anotehr hex at her, and I just ran. I didn't know where to go. I had no owls. I didn't know how to reach anyone. The trains were down, and I didn't know how to get back to the Headquarters. I hid in some alley way and waited there for about an hour and forty-five minutes. I was basically thinking about the events that had occured. Of course, I had been wondering where the hell were the gaurds from the Order," Harry shot Dumbledore a glare, and Dumbledore who looked apologetic.   
  
"I've been brooding for those long hours. I had no other choice but to go back to the Ministry. I knew all of you guys were sick and worried about me. You'd be even more so in the morning," Harry said, giving them all small smile.   
  
"Well, it's true Harry, I'm glad you're back before dawn," Hermione said, returning the smile.   
  
"So, I've been thinking about Neville, you guys, the Cruciatus Curse I've used, the entire night, about my History examination . . ." he shot a look at Professor Snape. "Have I failed that one?" he asked feebly.  
  
"We'll see Potter," he curtly said.   
  
"So, before I left to go back to the Ministry, and seeing I already know what Prophecy says, I destroyed it," he looked over to Dumbledore, who nodded.  
  
"I'm glad you destroyed the Prophecy."  
  
"Well, if you hadn't told me of it, I wouldn't have destroyed it in the first place."  
  
"Well, I'm glad I did, it tells me that I didn't make a mistake in telling you of the Prophecy," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Harry grinned back, a bit unsure of what to say next.  
  
"So I came back to the Ministry, of course, the gits were still there," Harry said, shaking his head. "Voldemort was really mad at his followers for letting me and the Prophecy go. But of course, I couldn't keep the Telephone Box silent, so it rattled, alerting them all. So, he welcomes me back, and talked to me wondering why I had been blocking his visions."  
  
Harry looked over to Professor Snape, who paled slightly. "I really should thank you for that, finally, the lessons payed off. I even didn't have much of my scar prickling in his presence at all," Snape visibly smiled at him. "Well, you can see he tried to cast Legillemency on me several times. I even accidentally broke into his. Only one memory though, it was a bit disturbing..." Harry said, thinking a bit.  
  
"What was the memory about?" Snape asked, curious.  
  
"I think it was an Orphanage memory, he was being bullied by older kids... no wonder why he hated muggles."  
  
"Interesting..." Dumbledore softly spoke. The others looked a bit shocked at the memory.  
  
"He USED to be bullied!? I can't imagine..." Ron began, Harry chuckled.   
  
"Well, he had to hate the muggles for some reason or another, still, I was raised by the most horrible type of muggles, and look how I am now... ah well, I guess I'm lucky," Harry muttered to himself. "Anyways he was pretty pissed at me breaking into one of his memory. I had the worst Cruciatus Curse ever . . ." Harry shuddered lightly.  
  
"That awful?" Hermione asked, concerned for his friend. Harry nodded.  
  
"Anyways in the legilemency attacks he did the first two times were good, but guess what I've learned something new Professor Dumbledore?" he asked, grinning again.   
  
"What is it?" he replied with a question as all of them were wondering what he learned, including Snape.   
  
"You know, during one of my brooding moments, before I destroyed the Prophecy. I-I remembered one of the lines. I had something that Voldemort didn't, I figured it out myself. Well, somewhat, so I developed a theory. You could say that I tested the theory in the duel with Voldemort. Not smart you could say, but my theory was correct."  
  
"And the theory was..?" Remus asked, anxious.  
  
"It was love," Harry said softly, Dumbledore visibly beamed at him. "He was really, really mad, I had another case of Cruciatus Curse."  
  
"Oh Harry," Hermione softly said, worried.   
  
"But I'm fine now," Harry continued. "I am still sane you know," he grinned.   
  
"Oh I wouldn't be sure of that," Harry heard Snape muttered and shook his head. "You did several things to make the Dark Lord mad and yet you're still alive. It's a wonder..."  
  
"I just have a lot of luck, and I think fast of course. Then he asked for the Prophecy, seeing that I was still suffering in the aftermath of the Curse. He tried accio'd the Prophecy. Of couse, I destroyed it like I said. So I'm glad that it's gone, and you could imagine he wasn't at all pleased. I said that I had hid it, fooling him," Harry continued. The faces of his friends were of pure terrified of what happens next. Harry grinned again, shaking his head. "So, I was sarcastic with him when he wanted the Prophecy. Again, he was even madder."  
  
"Is that even possible?" Professor Snape asked, looking not too well.   
  
"It gets a bit worse, so yes, it's possible," Harry replied. "So I called him by Voldemort, saying that I knew what Prophecy said--"  
  
"You didn't!" the four exclaimed, which included all the adults, and his best friends blanched.  
  
"You are too daring for your own good Potter!" Snape growled.  
  
"Hey, don't jump to conclusions now please," Harry said, getting annoyed. "So, he wasn't pleased when he heard me saying his fearful name, saying it wasn't worth coming from me. Then he tried insulting me, that I'm Half-Blood. I saw the irony in that, seeing he's one himself. So I retorted, but he never let me finish my setence. Another round of Cruciatus Curse for me."   
  
"Geez Harry, no one has never had that many rounds in one hour without going insane!" Snape said. "Perhaps you have gone insane somewhat. I don't like your smile at all."  
  
"Oh come on Professor, I had a good battle with im after all," Harry retorted. "Anyways, I told him another lie, telling him what he didn't know about the Prophecy. I said exactly this, 'If you so badly want to know, well, the Prophecy says that you will soon die, because I'm...'" he paused for a dramatic pause, with a huge smirk. '...Immortal.'"   
  
Ron blanched, and laughed. "You did not!"   
  
"Yes I did," Harry laughed.   
  
"Impossible, you really shouldn't be alive now, perhaps you are a ghost with a physical body..." Snape said, still unbelieving what he's hearing. "I can't believe how many times you've mocked the Dark Lord! He will not be most pleased."  
  
"Of course he's not, because I've insulted some more," Harry said, half-shrugging, but still a smile evident on his face. The others groaned. "He even believed the Prophecy I told him, I made up that when I was a baby when he tried to kill me. Saying that I was immortal, he couldn't even kill me. So he asked if I was lying, and I said why wouldn't I be? Then he tried to test if I was really am immortal. But..." he snickered.  
  
Causing them all to look at each other, wondering what he did next. Sirius was shaking his head, unbelieving what he's hearing, but with a grin on his face. "Oh Harry, I can't believe you did all of that without dying!"   
  
"Yeah well," Harry said, "I insulted one last time, saying that I was too bored to finish him off--"  
  
"You said WHAT!?" everyone except Dumbledore shouted at him.   
  
"Hey now, calm down, yes, he was even more angry by that remark. He wasn't even shouting, it was kind of scary. I think he turned beet... you know, now that I think about it, he doesn't look good with red skin," Harry snickered. The others were flabberghasted at him.   
  
"I think that I need to lie down," Snape announced, walking over to a love seat couch and lied down. "I am not looking forward to my next meeting at all..."   
  
"Why?" Harry asked.  
  
"Do you even need to? He's going to torture us all out of pure anger," he said, pinching his bridge of the nose.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry Professor..." Harry's shoulder slumped.  
  
"Nevermind that Potter, he rarely kills his fellow Death Eaters. At least, I hope so, according to you, this is the most anger I have ever heard. I fear what would happen..."   
  
"I see, well I hope it's nothing nasty... anyways, about that time, he was threatening to find a way to tear away my 'immortality' status when the lot of the Aurors and the others finally showed up. I guess rest is history. Now can I sleep?" Dumbledore chuckled slightly.  
  
"Not right now Harry, about the Cruciatus Curse you've performed..." Harry groaned.   
  
"Wh-what are you going to do about it?" he asked tentatively.   
  
"I'll think of what action I can take, I can't promise anything. This isserious Harry, you must understand this. If anyone finds out that you performed Cruciatus Curse, even on a Death Eater, you will be locked up right away."  
  
Harry nodded numbly, wondering if any of the Ministry would introggated him. He shuddered at the very thought of being in Azkaban and around those Dementors. He knew he wouldn't last a day there. Knowing his reactions to them, he would be forever knocked out, hearing his parent's last moments and Voldemort. "So, sir, can I sleep now?"  
  
"After you take something for your Cruciatus curses, you've suffered a lot tonight, and we don't want to lose you to coma," Headmaster Dumbledore explain. "Then you can sleep. Severus?"  
  
"Yes Headmaster," he went out of the office to get some potions for Harry. Harry stared straight ahead, not looking in anyone's eyes. If he couldn't meet Dumbledore's, he would might as well not look at anyone. The silence was far too unbearable for anyone else in the room, Harry could tell. Ron and Hermione kept glancing at Harry and shifting around in their seats silently. Sirius and Remus were trying to get Harry's attention, but failed, seeing that Harry wasn't in the mood to talk, let alone, look at anyone. The silence were at the breaking point, when Severus opened the door with vial of light blue potion.   
  
"Here Potter," he handed the potion to Harry, who accepted the vial, after snapping out of his short trance. He took the cork off and drank the whole thing down dispite how badly it tasted but it had smelled nice. After gulping down the last drop, Harry wiped his mouth with his left sleeves.   
  
"Thank you Professer," Harry felt a lot better due to potion. "Well, night everyone," without giving them a chance to hold back, Harry went down the spiraling stairs and into the corridor. Then behind him, he heard animal panting, and doggy-footsteps behind him and half-turned to see who it was and saw Sirius running after him. Harry sighs, letting him follow to the Gryffindor Tower. But Sirius didn't let him continue and looked around in the corridor and transformed back into his human.  
  
"Harry, have you FORGOTTEN you're still in hiding!?" he half yelled but still whispering.  
  
"Oh... right, yeah," Harry said a bit dully and walked back to the Office, luckily not being caught by anyone on the way back. Though Harry could care less if Umbridge had caught him, he still feels like the world had been crashing around on him. Harry went back to his seat and sat there, going into a trance again. The others groaned at Harry.  
  
"Harry, don't you want to go to sleep? Then come on to the Shrieking Shack," said Remus, worried.  
  
"You guys are staying at the Shrieking Shack?" Hermione asked.  
  
"You mean Harry never told you..? Ah well," Remus said, trying to get Harry to his feet but fails. Harry had slumped to the floor. "What is WRONG with Harry anyways? Harry, are you okay?" He asked, with everyone increasingly getting concerned with Harry.   
  
"'m fine," mumbled Harry, getting up again but swaying dangerously. "I just need to sleep," Sirius and Remus nodded in understanding, and pointed to the marble apple which is a portkey.  
  
"I'll talk to you later Albus," Remus said, Sirius said his byes to the others as well, and the three whisked away.   
  
When they arrived back at the new home for the three males, Sirius and Remus helped Harry to his bed. However worried they were right now, they hoped that Harry would be okay when he wakes up in the following morning.   
  
Harry's dream  
  
Blackness around Harry as he feels as if he was falling in aybss, but colors swirled about him and saw Peter readying to lunge into his chest with his knife.   
  
"Peter!" Harry screamed, longing for him. "Don't you die on me!"  
  
"Why do you care," asked Peter cooly. Harry sputtered words out, incomperhensible. "Thought so, good bye Potter, shame that I never got to know you, but oh well."  
  
"Know about me? What are you talking about!? We've been friends since I was born!" Harry yelled.  
  
"You don't know what you're saying," Peter said sadly. "You don't know the life I now live in. Let's refresh your memory a bit, I betrayed your parents."  
  
"W-w-what? B-but--" Harry stuttered, confused. "What are you talking about Peter? What about my dad, Remus, and Sirius?"  
  
"You really don't have a clue do you? Bye anyways," with that, he stabbed himself in the chest directly to his heart. Too fast even for the Quidditch reflexes of the young boy.  
  
"PETER! NO! What's going on!?" Harry yelled, as he held Peter. "Peter, don't...." Then the darkness fell, whirling around him and catching him off balance. He began to fall once more towards the Black Abyss, feeling his emotions leaving him as he fell, the further he fell, the more detatched he became.  
  
"NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-!-!-!" He screamed in seemingly slow motion.  
  
End Dream  
  
"HARRY!" someone yelled. But Harry couldn't comperhend who was saying the name. He blearly blinked very slowly, waking up. But groaned as he sat up his bed, and felt really shitty.   
  
"Harry, are you okay?" someone asked with large amounts of black hair, but couldn't tell who it was, as he didn't have his glasses.  
  
"Here Harry," the male with brown/blonde haired said, handed the glasses to him, who seem to have forgotten how to put glasses on. He sighed, and helped to put them on his nose and behind his ears. "Better?  
  
Harry nodded, still confused, "Uh--wh-what's..?"  
  
"You had a nightmare, or at least we think it was, what did you dream about?" light-haired male asked him.  
  
"Nightmare? Dream? I don't remember..." This caused the two males in front of Harry to be strickened with worry.   
  
"Do you know us?" dark-haired person asked with skeptism.  
  
"Mmm," Harry furrowed his eyebrows together, trying to remember. "Something like Serus? Siris? Sirius? Oh yeah... Sirius," then everything flooded back to him. "Whoa..."  
  
"At least you remember, and what is it?" Sirius asked anxiously.  
  
"E-everything came back to me all at once, whoa," Harry slid down, getting a bit woozy.   
  
"Well, at least you haven't gone amnesiac on us," Remus sighed with relief. Harry let out a grin, and then the stomach growled and the three laughed.  
  
"I guess food's in order," Harry said.  
  
"Okay, you stay here Harry, I'll bring them to you, you need to rest," Remus said going into the kitchn. Followed by Sirius who winked at Harry, who only grinned and shook his head. Then there was the unmistakeable smell of eggs and bacon.  
  
'We have eggs and bacon now? I wonder if someone had gotten the food previous night...' But soon his unasked question was answered, Mrs. Weasley came in the room, carrying trays of food and glass cup of pumpkin juice followed by pitcher of Pumpkin juice should he want more to drink.   
  
"Hi Mrs. Weasley," Harry greeted politely.   
  
"Hello Harry dear, how are you? Here, have a bit to eat," setting the tray on Harry's lap and went down to eating his breakfast with a mutter of thank you. "My pleasure Harry, but really, how are you?" Harry swallowed his bite of eggs.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm fine, because I'd be lying, but other than that, I'm good," Harry responded and went back to eatng his breakfast. Mrs. Weasley stared at the boy half in shock from hs response. Apparently he usually says that he's fine even when he wasn't. Surely, something happened in the previous night? Then Harry had finished his breakfast some fifteen minutes later. "So, when can I get out of this bed? I'm bored," Harry mumbled, half-complianing. Molly Weasley tutted, shaking her head and ordered Harry to stay confined to his bed for the day.   
  
Sirius had come back into Harry's room after Mrs. Weasley left Shrieking Shack to meet her older sons and started playing some Wizarding Chess. It seems that Sirius and Harry were even, losing one game, then win one, and lose again. Then Remus came into the room soon after, and sat next to Harry smiling. Sensing something, Harry and Sirius paused playing, as it were, Harry were winning.   
  
"Harry, do you remember your dream yet?" Remus asked seriously. Harry thought for a minute, recalling any bits of it.  
  
"Well, I know who was in my dream, but it wasn't like visions or anything. I think Peter was in my dream..."   
  
"Wormatail?" spat Sirius, shaking his head. "Why would you dream about him? Oh right, you and him had to duke it out, understandable."  
  
But in truth, he did remember exactly what his memory was about and he felt a bit freaked out from it. What did it mean? Was Peter really dead? Why did I treat him like a friend, of all people! Harry shook his head mentally, and refocused on the game of Chess once again. Harry sensed that Remus was studying him carefully, and got up from his chair and left the room.  
  
"So, how much longer do I have to sit in this bed?" Harry asked, as he moved his Bishop, taking Sirius' pawn. "Check."  
  
"Damn," cussed Sirius, furrowing his eyebrows into one line, concentrating carefully. He moves his knight to the right. Harry took his Rook and moved in the King's way, surrounded by Queen and bishop. Harry smirked.  
  
"Checkmate."  
  
"Aw no fair!" Sirius exclaimed.  
  
"You should play sometime with Ron, he's much more challenging."  
  
"I heard that he is good, extremely good at chess. Must be saying that he's good at stragey," Sirius remarked, and Harry nodded.  
  
"I agree, though he can tend to overreact and such., (yawn) and I think I'll take a nap."  
  
"Okay, you do that," he said, clearing Wizarding Chess up. "Have a good sleep," with that, he went out the door. Harry once again fell asleep into the brand new day. Luckily for him, he didn't have any dreams and woke up early on Sunday morning. Feeling too rested, Harry got out of the bed and went into the kitchen to find something to eat for breakfast. Then he picked up a random book and sat down on the couch to read by the candellight. The book that he had picked up was Books of Spell 5 seeing that he had nothing else to do.  
  
Then he heard some shuffling noise in the other room and stepped into Harry's room.  
  
"Morning Harry," Sirius yawned.  
  
"Mornin'," he replied, still reviewing some charms.  
  
"Why are you reading that?"   
  
"Is 'having nothing else to do' a good reason?" Harry asked, looking up from the book.  
  
"I suppose, but I have something for you. Remus got it for me from Hogsmead. Thought you'd like it," he gave Harry a small thick book. Curious, Harry tried to open the book but won't budge. "It's like a Journal of sorts, you tap the book with your wand, and you speak the word. 'Course, you don't have to speak out loud, as long you mouth the words."  
  
Harry examined the book, the covers were black leather, with inscription that says, 'Harry Potter: From Padfoot.' Harry smiled, and tapped the wand, and looked up to Sirius and back to the book, covering his mouth and spoke his new password.   
  
""Poetry,"" Harry mouthed the words, and then the book opened and found that all of the pages were blank. "Thanks Sirius, but why?" Sirius shrugged.  
  
"Thought you'd find it useful, seeing that you don't open up to anyone. So, why not write it down?"  
  
"I--That means a lot to me, thanks," Harry smiled at him, and Sirius leaned forward and one-arm hugged him.   
  
"No problem, well, did you eat?"  
  
"Yeah, how much longer do I have to stay in hiding? Are they still thinking of expelling me?"  
  
"Oh about that, you can return to Hogwarts today if you like," Sirius replied, but with a hint of something like he didn't want him to go back.   
  
"Oh, that's good, I think I'll come back tomorrow. . . ." Harry said softly. "I don't want to be surrounded by everyone so soon after what happened. . . ." Sirius chuckled.  
  
"A burden because of your fame?"   
  
"What else?" he muttered, shaking his head. "I think I'll start writing now." With that, Sirius nodded half in understanding and in confusion that he wants to write right away. Then he left with the door closing behind him. Harry took out his quill and ink and began to write.  
  
June 15th, 1995  
  
Dad, dad, dad. . .  
  
Mum, mum, mum. . .  
  
How I long for you two  
  
Dad, I looked up to you  
  
As an inspiration  
  
I now know you treated others down  
  
Bullying's no good  
  
Still, I somehow look up to you once more  
  
Mum, I don't know  
  
What's really like to have a mum?  
  
Mrs. Weasley's close  
  
But not close enough, but I appreciate her  
  
I long for you  
  
It's all Voldemort's fault  
  
I'll kill him in your name!  
  
I'll say, "This is for my dad!"  
  
But I won't utter the Killing Curse  
  
I'll torture him, so I'll say,  
  
"This is for my mum as well!"  
  
When I'm ready to give the killing blow  
  
I'll scream  
  
"This is for everyone who suffered in your name!"  
  
Thinking of ou, makes me feel stronger  
  
He doesn't understand love and friendship  
  
Mum, Dad, I love you  
  
Harry stopped writing, tears threating to fall. Why did he have to write this down? He felt like he'd poured his soul into this. But he realized he did feel much better than previously. Perhaps writing things down do really help. 'Maybe with time, I will heal . . .' He hesitated, and write down another poem. He had thought that writing poems were silly, but they do express how he felt.  
  
Am I normal?  
  
Normal boy with a scar on my forhead?  
  
You may say yes I am  
  
But looks can be decieving  
  
I've raged on fighting Quirrell  
  
For the Philosopher's stone  
  
Then I battled with the basilisk a year later  
  
With the True Gryffindor Sword from Gryffindor himself  
  
The year after that,   
  
I discovered the truth of Ron's rat  
  
That stupid rat and my godfather  
  
Learned that he is innocent  
  
Then I had entered a dangerous contest the next year  
  
I didn't even want to actually enter  
  
Flew around the dragon  
  
Swam to the bottommost lake  
  
Met merpeople and rescued two of people  
  
They say I have hero complex  
  
I didn't really mind  
  
Walked my way around in the maze  
  
Found Cedric in the center  
  
We both took the cup  
  
But we'd been portkeyed to a graveyard  
  
He died before my eyes  
  
Lifeless and so helpless  
  
Witnessed Voldemort's rebirth  
  
Then Dementors arrived with Dudley and me  
  
Dreamed of corridors for months  
  
Arthur Weasley was attacked  
  
Voldemort sent Death Eaters to Hogwarts  
  
Killed one of my classmate and housemate  
  
Then he portkeyed me to Department of Mysteries  
  
Duked it out all evening long  
  
Suffered Cruciatus Curse  
  
I did an Unforgiveable Curse  
  
Tel me  
  
Is that normal for someone at age fifteen?  
  
No, I didn't think so  
  
Oh, by the way, I lived in a cupboard inside a wealthy house.  
  
Harry sighed, exhaling, and shut the book. He did feel much better, he swore that the world had been lifted off his shoulders. But he knew that it's only for the moment. The world did indeed weigh on his shoulders, all of some Prophecy. He got out of his chair that he had been sitting since he returned from the kitchen and walked into the family room and found Remus and Sirius speaking softly with each other.  
  
"Hello," Harry interrupted them.  
  
"Oh Harry, morning," Remus sat up a bit more straighter. Harry saw something in their eyes and grew a bit suspicous. "Harry, please sit down."  
  
It wasn't really a request, more of an order for him to sit down. Harry walked over to an empty seat across from the two and cautiously sat down. 'What's going on?' Harry thought.  
  
"I know you want to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow, but Dumbledore requests you to return today," spoke Remus.   
  
"Why?" Harry asked, with a swell of anger emitting from the inside. 'Why did I have to go back a day sooner? I don't want to face them!' Harry thought angrily.  
  
"I don't know, he really wants you to come back today," Remus exhaled.  
  
"Fine," said Harry with hint of bitterness from his voice. He stood up from his chair and retreted back to his room. 


	14. Chapter XIV

Chapter fourteen  
  
Harry had packed his trunk, wondering what Headmaster Albus Brian Wulfric Dumbledore wanted him over at Hogwarts today than tomorrow. He picked up the mirror that had been a way of communicating to Sirius and smiled softly. This mirror had gotten Harry and Sirius much closer than they ever had in previous year and half or so. He was surprised at how far their relationship between Remus and Sirius had been. But now that he thought about it, it seemed so fitting for the two, and had supported their relationship from the moment he caught them holding hands and kissing. He packed the mirror away, with fond memories and had once been his father to talk to Sirius during detentions.   
  
Harry chuckled at the thought of the two chatting during their detentions, but then frowned at his father's behavior towards Professor Snape. Well, he thought dully, Sirius did say we were all idiots at age of fifteen, okay so I admit that I am an idiot! he scolded himself, remembering how he'd acted at the Department of Mysteries and the Ministry itself. He then slammed closed the trunk half in anger but saw something was missing. His new journal was sitting on the table. Harry went to fetch it, along with his quills and ink bottle quite empty and opened the trunk again and set ontop of the mirror he had just put in moments ago. He stared at the journal a moment longer, thanking Sirius for the need to write. His emotions were unbearable as it is. He quietly put the trunk lid down again and locked it.   
  
He went out of the room and found Remus reading the Daily Prophet. Harry coughed a little, to announce his appearance.  
  
"Hey Harry," Remus looked up at him from the paper. "Ready?"  
  
"I don't want to go back," he replied glumly.  
  
"I don't want you to go back either, me and Sirius included," Remus set the paper down sadly. "We're going to miss you."  
  
"Can't I visit you guys here? After all, we're finished with the O.W.L.s," Harry asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, but there isn't any need for us to stay--"  
  
"What about me Remus? Isn't that a reason enough?" Harry interrupted him. "Actually, nevermind, I don't have to hold you back," Harry went back to his room and levitated his trunk and led down to the hatch, followed by Sirius and Remus. "Well, I guess I'll see you two sometime later."  
  
Without a word, Sirius leaned forward and hugged Harry, who was stunned for the moment. Never, ever he had felt a fatherly hug like this before. He didn't know what to think, since he never recieved any sort of loving phyiscal contact since his dad. Harry, awkwardly, hugged Sirius back.  
  
"We're going to miss you Harry, but I have a feeling that the Ministry will free me soon, after all, did they not see Pettigrew at the Ministry?"  
  
"I suppose so, he was the only one unmasked other than Voldemort, kind of hard to miss his face, so hang on Sirius," Harry grinned. It was true that Pettigrew was the only one without his mask, and had been the closest Death Eater to the Ministry representatives. He only hoped they would pardon Sirius any day now that they know Dumbledore and Harry had been telling the truth all along. Sirius ruffled Harry's hair, much to his distaste.  
  
" Sirius! I don't like my hair ruffled up you know!" Harry complianed, flattening as much as he could to his hair.  
  
"Oh cut it out Harry," Sirius scoffed as he tried to ruffle his hair again but Harry ducked in time. "All right, all right," Remus chuckled at the two.  
  
"Well, you better go Harry," Remus leaned in and hugged him good bye. "I do suspect we'll see you again soon."  
  
"Alright, bye Sirius, Remus," with that, he led down to the hatch with his trunk following him. He felt sad to leave Shrieking House. For past several weeks, he had come to think of this place as a home. Even staying there during the summer, spening great fun with Remus and Sirius. He knew that wouldn't happen, since Dumbledore wanted him to come back to Hogwarts and inevitably going to the damned Dursleys. Harry sighed as he walked along the tunnel and coming up towards the hole and disabled the Whomping Willow as he crawled out and his trunk followed. He made his way towards the front doors of Hogwarts. Today he would be near every student and actually see him visibly. He didn't want to face the student body today, it was still weekend and everyone was bound to ask him a lot of questions. Oh just great, everyone just had to be in the Entrancea Hall as I come in . . .   
  
"Harry!" Nearly everyone shouted his name, most of them were Gryffindors and the D.A. and some Professors were there too. Obviously Dumbledore had told of them that Harry was coming back today.  
  
'Couldn't he even let me come back silently!?' Harry groaned inwardly and smiled softly at his housemates, friends and acquaitances. "Hi everyone, I'm back," he grinned sheepisly. Everyone save the professors cheered for his return. He saw Ron and Hermione coming out of the crowd and hugged tightly to Harry.   
  
"Oh I'm so happy you're finally here and okay," said Hermione, hugging him tightly.  
  
"'ir 'Ermi-nee 'ir," breathed Harry.   
  
"Oh! I'm sorry Harry!" she let him go, blushing.   
  
"Well, how's everyone?" he asked Hermione, scanning everyone who were chattering loudly, trying to talk to Harry.  
  
"Oh you know, the usual, except they're much happier. Well, Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak to you," she said. Harry nodded.  
  
"Okay, hey, hey! I need to get to Gryffindor Tower unless someone can drop my trunk off!" No sooner he said that, he'd regretted the request. As there were more clamoring for his trunk. "Whoa! I think I'll ask one of my roommates to this task! Hey Dean!"   
  
"Alright Harry?"   
  
"Fine, take my trunk to our rooms, I need to see Dumbledore, well he needs to see me but what does it matter. Thanks mate, I'll talk to you later tonight," with that, he slowly made his way through the Entrance Hall, responding to people's questions such as 'You did awesome at the Ministry!' 'Where did you hide?' Which, of course, he didn't answer, as to protect his privacy should he need to hide again. He finally found silence several floors up away from the Entrance Hall, with Ron and Hermione on each side of him.  
  
"Well," Ron began, "That was intersting."  
  
"What was?" Harry inquired, unsure what part was interesting.  
  
"Everyone in the Entrance Hall of course," replied Ron, looking at Harry. "We knew you didn't want to be welcomed like that, but we couldn't stop them," he said with a half shrug.  
  
"Well, it can't be helped," Harry said, chuckling softly. "I was surprised to see everyone there though."  
  
"Yeah mate, your face was priceless!" Ron laughed, and earned a playful punch by Harry. "Hey!"  
  
"Couldn't help it, I picked that up from Sirius one too many time," he said, shaking his head. "Those two, I swear..." they finally reached the statue and uttered the password and went up the moving winding staircase and at the top. Harry knocked the door and heard a 'come in'. He pushed the door open and found Headmaster sitting at the desk, his fingers touching at the tips.   
  
"Please sit," he asked, not an order. Harry sat down in one of the plush chairs, along with Hermione and Ron on either side of him. "I suppose you would like to know why you're here?" Harry nodded slowly, cautious. "Well, tonight I'm going to talk to the Ministry about what happened on Friday . . ."  
  
"Why couldn't you do that on Saturday rather than on Sunday?" Harry asked.  
  
"Minister was busy, and I was busy, and everyone at the Ministry was really busy. So you can imagine, but we're going to discuss of what you said on Friday night..."  
  
"Do you need me to discuss about Friday's events as well?"   
  
"No, not tonight, tomorrow, you will meet the Minister of Magic and several of the representatives. Tonight, I'm only going to give him some of the details briefly."   
  
"A-are you going to tell him abou-about Bellatrix Lestrange?"   
  
"I'm afraid so," he replied softly.  
  
"Why couldn't you keep that a secret isir?/i" Harry's inside grew hot, Dumbledore was not looking at him, not even once! Of course, he knew the reasons, but he wouldn't look as much as stare at him.   
  
"Because they are going to do a spell that reveals all of the spells you've done tomorrow for their precaution," he said sadly. Harry stared at him in horror. "The worse they could do is send you to Azkaban and have a Dementor's kiss. But I doubt that this warrants that extreme," he assured him, seeing the horrorfied look on Harry and his friends. "Even Fudge wouldn't be that stupid. . . . then again," he seems to have remembered something. He understood too, Fudge wouldn' trust him since his end of third year and thought him to be delusional, attention-seeking little boy. Harry shook his head.  
  
"I hope I don't have to serve a lifetime..." Harry said softly, "How will I survive Dementors? You know how weak I get around them..."  
  
"Yes I do," Dumbledore said, lost without a spark in his eyes. "Well, I suppose I'll let you go, persue every enjoyable thing you can today and tomorrow. The meeting is at 8 p.m. tomorrow. Don't be late," Harry knew that was a dismiss and got up from his chair and followed by Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Bye sir," Harry said, leaving the room and went down the stairs. The three were silent for five corridors, and when Harry thought he couldn't handle the silence anymore. He slammed his fist into the wall next to him. "AUGHH!"   
  
"Mate!?" Ron stared at him in shock, along with speechless Hermione.   
  
"Damn this! Damn everything! I want my broom..." Harry said, calming down. "If I don't get on pitch today, I'm going to go nuts."  
  
"R-right mate, I'll go back and ask Dumbledore," Ron said, running back towards the office, leaving the two in silence.   
  
"H-Harry? A-are you okay? Well, of course you're not, but--" Hermione began.  
  
"'Course I'm not . . ." Harry snarled, "sorry Hermione."  
  
"Don't be, you have every right to be," she said. Harry sighed and looked outside in the window opposite him.   
  
"It's a nice day," Harry said softly, watching the clouds slowly drifting by.  
  
"Yes it is," she said, after looking out the window. The two watched outside in silence, watching the kids playing in the grass, some in the water splasing with their feet.   
  
"It's amazing that out there, everyone is so carefree and I'm here--"  
  
"Don't finish," Hermione said softly. "Just enjoy yourself today and tomorrow."  
  
Harry nodded, and heard fast footfalls coming towards him and saw Ron with his iFirebolt./i His heart lurched at the sight of his broom, his throat forming a lump.   
  
"Here mate! Let's go get my broom!" Ron said happily. Harry grinned and stared at the broom, which he had taken from his friend, staring in awe of his broom. He fingered every inch of the broom, each strand of wood at the end. Tracing the name of the Firebolt etched in the broomstick. "Come on Harry! The sooner we go out, the sooner we fly! . Harry grinned even more widely and shouldered his broom and ran after Ron, leaving Hermione in the dust who only laughed and soon they were outside.   
  
"Race you to the pitch!" Harry yelled, mounting his broom from the stairs of Entrance hall. Ron laughed and mounted his as well and both were blasting into the sky. The kids around them pointed at the two, laughing as they flew. Harry felt so much happier, the wind whipping at his face, his hair flapping around, screwing his face against the cold breeze. The black robes flailing about, and urging his broom to go faster, making the enivornment around him blur in speed. His stomach free of all worries and pains, no apathy or depressing thoughts filled his mind. He soared straight up towards the clouds, leaving the ground far behind. He had already reached the pitch and was now waiting for Ron to catch up. Harry knew he'd left Ron in the dust as well.   
  
He was soon so far high up that he saw every detail of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and parts of Forbidden forest. He look straight down and saw Ron, he was only a speck of red against the green, flying seemingly slow around the pitch. Harry grinned and leaned forward, flying as fast as he could towards the ground. The wind around him whipping wildly as he flew faster than sound and saw horrofied look on Ron's face and nearby heard several screams and smirked as he flew even faster towards the ground but when he was only mere three feet from the ground, he leveled out and back up towards one of the goal hoops and let out a whoop.   
  
"Whoo!"   
  
"HARRY!" he heard several voices screaming his name and stared at the crowds and on the grass and grinned sheepishly  
  
"Are you mad!?"  
  
"You could have died!"  
  
"That was wicked!"  
  
"Harry's insane!"  
  
"Mate! Were you trying to give us all a heart attack or shaving off two decades off our lives!?" Ron raged at him, but with laughter in his eyes. Harry laughed at him and shook his head.  
  
"I was only enjoying myself, I wasn't rying to scare everyone..."  
  
"Sure you were! You were grinning like a lunaitic!" said Ron laughing. Harry flew around the pitch, doing a lot of twists and loops and doing more Wronski Feint, but with an twist, of being at altitude of at least a thousand feet in the air which always gave others the scare and thought that it was funny to see their faces. Soon, someone was shouting for Harry.  
  
"Oy Harry!"   
  
"What Ron?" Harry flew towards him.  
  
"It's nearly time for dinner, we've been out all day and I'm hungry mate!" It was true, they've been flying since before lunch and he was hungry himself as well.  
  
"Yeah, I'm hungry too, you only reminded me, I had forgotten..."  
  
"No kidding Harry," Hermione said smiling as they landed. "You seem to be in your own world in the air."  
  
"Well, I am," Harry admitted, grinning, Hermione shook her head and the three walked back towards Hogwarts and entered the Great Hall. The three sat down with their broomsticks in front of them. Harry could've hid his Firebolt but the Creevy's insisted on seeing the broom so Harry gave in, redding in embarrassment. Soon the three had finished eating and headed back to the Gryffindor Tower, chatting to fellow Gryffindors about O.W.Ls, Quidditch, Malfoy and his secret voice in the head which Harry found really funny. And among other things like the summer.  
  
"What're you going to do this summer Harry?" Seamus asked, as Ron said the password to the common room.  
  
"Oh at my relatives I suppose," Harry replied glumly as they stepped in.  
  
"You don't sound very happy," said Seamus.  
  
"No, they despise anything magic," said Harry. "Well, I'm going to get something," he ran up the stairs to his dormitory and found his trunk safely at the end of his bed. He opened the trunk and took out his journal, quill and a new ink bottle and came back down to the common room and smiled at Hermione and Ron as he sat down.  
  
"What you got there Harry?" Ron asked, staring at the journal.  
  
"Oh, it's my new journal, Sirius gave it to me this morning."  
  
"Oh . . ." is all Ron said and challenged Hermione to chess which she accepted for once. Harry inaudiobly said the password to his journal and opened to a new page and dot his quill into the ink and onto the parchment and began to write.   
  
Soaring through the air  
  
As a broomstick supports me through and through  
  
Flying over the pitch  
  
Leaving all my pains and grief  
  
All my troubles and depressing thoughts  
  
Flying in the air  
  
Is truly the best way to leave the world of pain  
  
Hair flipping around my face  
  
Searching for something valuable  
  
Spotting something glittery and gold  
  
Snitch has been found   
  
Manuvering through the air  
  
Approaching fast  
  
As the place around me blur   
  
But the Golden Snitch  
  
Skittering and desperately flying away  
  
Reaching my hand into the air  
  
Grabbing the small walnut-sized ball with wings  
  
Flying is an exhilaration experience  
  
Only to leave troubles behind on the ground.  
  
Harry leaned back, sastify with himself, reading his poem. Smiling and stared over at Ron and Hermione who were staring back at Harry with confused looks.  
  
"What?" Harry asked, a bit annoyed.  
  
"What are you smiling about?" Ron asked.   
  
"Oh, about flying today," Harry replied. Ron nodded and went back to his game, but Hermione stared at him a bit longer and refocused on the game once more. He stared at the second half of the pages, finding it to be empty and though of what to write next, and set his end point of the quill on the paper again.   
  
Girl, you're clever and smart  
  
Boy, so ill-tempered but fun  
  
Guys, how can you two stick  
  
With me for so long  
  
How can you stand my temper  
  
Blowing things up at you  
  
So furious, yet . . .  
  
You guys stick with me   
  
But will that be to the end?  
  
I don't want to lose you  
  
I'll be lost   
  
I've lost my parents  
  
My school mate died in front of me  
  
I acted rash again  
  
And lost Neville in the process  
  
I can't bear to lose anyone else  
  
It's all my fault  
  
But you say it isn't  
  
Well, it's not that simple!  
  
But do me a favor  
  
Don't let me distance from anyone  
  
I'll go mad if I do  
  
Thanks, you two are the greatest friends  
  
One could ever ask for.  
  
Harry was still glancing down at the journal, desperately trying not to let his unshed tears to shed. 'Now how the hell did I go from a happy poem to a depressing one!? This is madness... but I suppose it's because of Ron and Hermione...' Harry thought angrily.   
  
"Harry?" Hermione asked and looked up at her. She went from a look of concern to shock. "Harry, what's wrong?"  
  
"N-nothing," he shut the journal close and began to stand up as Ron noticed Harry as well.  
  
"No, it's ruddy not nothing!" Ron said indiginatly. Harry sighed and sat back down, remembering one of the lines he had just wrote.   
  
Don't let me distance from everyone   
  
"Alright, I was just writing a poem about you guys and kind of broke my heart, happy?" Harry glared at his two ofhis friends but soften a moment later. Hermione and Ron stared at him, half in surprise and in shock.   
  
"You're writing poems?" Ron asked awestrucked.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I'm doing with this journal anyways, well I'm going to sleep," Harry tried getting up again, but Hermione spoke next.  
  
"Can I read them sometime?" Hermone asked, and Harry turned his face slowly towards her. Looking as if she was crazy. "Well, only with your permission of course."  
  
"It's private, and this certain journal has a password on it and only I can access to it, but maybe sometime in the future when I'm not so embarrassed with the way I wrote them . . ." Harry reddened a little, looking at the fireplace.   
  
"Oh alright, good night Harry," finally Harry was able to go to his bed and did his occlumency and cleared his mind and fell asleep at once.   
  
The next day came, and woke up fresh, but was at first disconcerted by where he is. Then he remembered that he wasn't staying at Shrieking Shack anymore and that he was back at Hogwarts. Now that he had come to think of it, where was that Umgridge woman? iOh well, the longer I don't see her, the better I'm off/i he thought as he got dressed and dug for his journal again. He liked to express how he felt around him and never revealing. He took out his quill and ink and sat on his bed. The more solace he is in, the better he would think and the silence suited him just fine. The sun was halfway up from the horizon and guessed to be about nine in the morning. He looked away from the window and stared at the paper, thinking and began to write down.  
  
One of the corridors at Hogwarts  
  
I walk alone in silence  
  
Some can say I'm sulking  
  
Let them say what they think  
  
I like solitude as I think of the past  
  
How Dursleys' treated me  
  
Of entering a magical school  
  
Having friends for the first time  
  
Searching for clues of mystery  
  
When there's somethign up at school  
  
Of times I blew up at my friends  
  
At school mates  
  
Including my professors  
  
When to trust anymore?  
  
Especially when I carry so much weight  
  
They all lied to me  
  
I bet they still are  
  
Prophecy, who cares?  
  
It was made by that fraud of a woman  
  
But I scold myself  
  
Of course I do care  
  
This drives me crazy  
  
But now I bumped into a teacher  
  
Of all people, it had to be the Professor Snape  
  
Still, he kindly took off points  
  
Pah, kindly? Yeah right  
  
So I continue to walk  
  
Forget muggles, Hogwarts and Prophecy  
  
I'm going to hide.  
  
Yeah sure, sounds Slytherin-y  
  
But the hat did want me to put in there.  
  
Maybe I should have been.  
  
Looking back at the poem, and rereading. Harry was surprised with himself, he was writing blindly, and he didn't even know those kind of thoughts existed. It's like you were learning something completely new about yourself that you never knew about. Still staring at the by-product of the poem, and still wasn't sure what to think. Sure, he did agree to every part of the lines, albiet, reclunantly. He did feel that he wanted to hide, even though he was surrounded by loving people and friends.   
  
Harry stood up, and kicked the bed he had sat in, throwing his book across the room and hit the opposite wall and landed with a thud, book still open. Bloody hell! What's wrong with me!? Harry yelled in his head, fuming. Then he realized how he wasn't so hungry for breakfast and felt glad. He didn't want to face anyone just yet. But he remembered that Dumbledore told him to enjoy himself as much as he could, there were chances of going to Azkaban after all... 'No! You wouldn't land yourself there, would I?' Harry was unsure of himself, wondering what would happen if he did land himself in Azkaban. Well, he would have to break out because he was the only one that could fulfill the Prophecy...   
  
"Pah! Screw Prophecy, they shouldn't land all responsibility upon me and expect to treat me like a child!" Harry muttered to himself.  
  
"What're you muttering about?" asked Pavarti worried as she entered the common room.  
  
"Oh, nothing, nothing, just the usual rubbish, see you around Pavarti," with that, he left the common room and went to Astromony tower. 'Talking to yourself! Phinieas did say that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness... no, ignore him. He's nothing.'   
  
He leaned agains the top of the stone wall, overlooking the Hogwarts grounds, listening to wind moving about and birds twittering. He was going to enjoy the fresh air, and the sights over the grounds and the lake towered by the cliffs. Exhaling deeply and stared up into the heavens, examining every shapes in the clouds. He swore one of them was that of Golden Snitch. Chuckling to himself, he never did anything like that, conciously anyways. He heard someone coming onto the balcony of Astromony Tower and turned around and saw Ron and Hermione there, and smiled.  
  
"Harry, we've been looking all over for you!" Hermione scolded but returned the smile.  
  
"What's up mate?" Ron asked, looking at his friend.  
  
"Nothing, I'm just enjoying fresh air," he looke back at the lake and saw the Giant Squid swimming at the surface. The other two also looked out at the lake as well, enjoying themselves and the silence. No words was needed in their friendship.   
  
"I really hope that you don't go to Azkaban," Hermione spoke up after what seemed half an hour.  
  
"Me too Hermione, I won't last long in that place," Harry replied glumly. "I hear my mum's screaming everytime I go near one..."  
  
"Oh, that bad?" Hermione asked sadly.  
  
'Yeah, and of course, I keep getting knocked out, well most of the time when I don't manage to do an Patronus charm."  
  
"But without your wand in that place...."  
  
"I'll be out more than half the time," he finished for her. The threesome didn't speak again for another half hour, watching the treetops moving in the distance and birds flying around and Harry swore that he saw a threstral or two flew out of the treetops and back in.  
  
"What're you looking at mate?" Ron asked.  
  
"I saw some threstrals flying," he replied.  
  
"Oh..." is all he said.  
  
"I think we should eat lunch now," Hermione spoke after a moments silence. Harry was glad that none of the silence was awkward or he'd have already left. His mind drifted back to the recent poem he wrote and shook his head.  
  
"Yeah, let's go get some food," Harry went down to the Great Hall. 


	15. Chapter XV

Chapter fifteen  
  
After an semi-enjoyable lunch meal, which was dented by Draco Malfoy, who seem to have gotten the nerve to insult Harry and his friends. Harry smirked to himself after he left, he's going to have some fun at dinner time. He filled in his friends and other fellow Gryffindor. He felt oddly loss about something, he was missing some sort of thing. He couldn't put a finger on it, and looked around at the lunch table and saw Ginny. He felt something hit with a pang. Neville wasn't here, and he wasn't able to enjoy getting back the Slytherins, and frowned.   
  
He wasn't even sastified by cursing the Lestrange for one full minute watching her in pain. Hearing her screaming in agony. Then he smiled at her pain, well at least it wasn't all lost when he set the curse upon her. In some ways, he got his vengeance for Neville Longbottom. He felt a pair of eyes was watching him and looked up from his plate and saw Hermione staring at him, frowning.  
  
"Are you okay Harry?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, fine, just realized something was missing, and figured that i-it was Neville..." The table fell silent after mentioning his name. "It didn't feel right talking about the gits in Slytherin without Neville enjoying it..." Few people fidgeted a little in their seat but said nothing. Harry took another bite into his sandwich and drank pumpkin juice.   
  
"I'm going outside, anyone coming?" Harry asked, standing up. "Who's up for some flying?" Harry grinned at the memory yesterday, and the others looked at each other and stared back at Harry, a little horrofied but smiled back. Some of them got up including Ron and Hermione.   
  
"Potty has his fan club following him now?" Draco called out, causing snickers out of some Slytherins, but Harry ignored and the others, luckily, followed his example. Once out of Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall, Harry made an small announcements.  
  
"Malfoy's getting something at dinner, he won't know what's coming," this caused a roar of laughter.  
  
"Oh I can't wait to see what will happen to that git!" Ron exclaimed and stopped walking. "Wait, we forgot our brooms!"  
  
"Don't worry, remember my summoning in my first task in my fourth year?" This caused a murmurings out of some fourth and fifth years. "I'm not trying to show off, so you know, it's too far away from here and it's good to practice especially against Voldemort..." Again, there were some gasps and little shrieks. "Guys, we're Gryffindors, we're supposed to be brave. If I don't have fear saying his name, Hermione doesn't anymore, if you don't say the name, it increases the fear itself."  
  
Harry had caused everyone to fall silent as they made way to the pitch, Harry took out his wand and flicked. "Accio Firebolt and Cleansweep!" Several moments later, the two brooms, recongizably as Harry's and Ron's. "Here Ron," he handed the broom to Ron as he mounted his own. "Oh, don't go have an heart attack when I pull another one of those moves," he said to the group and with that, he kicked off the ground, grinning.   
  
Several hours of fun in the air, and few dangerous moves, Ron and Harry called it night and the group made way back to the Great Hall for dinner. But before Harry even left the pitch, he took his wand out again, the group of Gryffindors stopped, wondering what's he going to do.   
  
"Accio invisblity cloak!"   
  
"No Harry! What if Malfoy sees the cloak coming!?" Hermione scolded, worried.  
  
"Don't worry, I had left the window open next to my bed and well, practically everything's lying under my bed. So, dont't worry," then he caught his cloak. "Alright, be at the dinner table if none of you want to be caught," This caused everyone to pick up their pace as Harry swung over the cloak himself. He made way to the Great Hall, and found Malfoy at the table again. But before he proceeded, he looked to Dumbledore, making sure that he actually doesn't see through him. When he didn't, Harry made way to Draco Malfoy and using his infamous voice and spoke.  
  
"So, making trouble are you?" Draco Malfoy let out a whimper. "Meet me at the pitch after dinner... or suffer the consquences."  
  
"Y-yes, I-I'll be there!"   
  
"You better come alone, or horrible things will happen to your little friends, or should I say, gaurds?"  
  
"I'll come alone sir!" Malfoy squeaked, causing others to stare at him worriedly.   
  
"Is it him again Draco?" Pansy asked, worry evident in her face, Dracoe nodded fearfully. Harry saw thin sheet of shine on his face, and glad that he was sweating badly about this situation and chuckled in his ears and walked away. He better get to the pitch now so he'll have to miss dinner, hopefully they'll bring some food. Now that he remembered, and walked towards the Gryffindor table and spoke to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Bring some food and drink for me, and get all of the Gryffindors, hidden of course, to the pitch, and the D.A. as well if you can. Something's going to happen, and we can't let anyone be seen by Malfoy," Ron and Hermione nodded and Harry left, to prepare.   
  
Several minutes later, he saw Malfoy coming towards the pitch, alone. Harry smirked at this, and seeing he was still under the cloak, and made it to trip Malfoy into the mud headfirst. He got up, sputtering.  
  
"I know th-that move! P-POTTER!?" Malfoy snarled. Harry shrugged off the claok while cluching to the wand. "No-- That's not right..."  
  
"'Course it is, so, afriad are you Malfoy?" Harry grinned at him. iMaybe this is how dad felt towards Snape.... well in that case, I understand./i He watched him continuing to sputter out words. "Can't you speak English?"  
  
"Yes!" with that, he took out his wand, pointing at Harry, but Harry was faster, who had already had his wand pointing at Draco Malfoy. The two of them glared at each other. "I'll kill you if I have to! You got some guts to fight me here alone!"  
  
"Not exactly alone, but yeah, alone fighting. Come out you Lions!" Harry called his housemates out of their hiding place. "We have witnesses, so you can't exactly kill me. Plus, humiliating you just like you always did to us. So, we're rightfully humilating you back!"  
  
Draco Malfoy let out a snarl, looking at the rest of the people and at Harry. "Coward, that's what it is!"  
  
"Really? I'm not under the impression of that ferret..." The people around them laughed lightly at this.   
  
"Stupefy!"  
  
"Protego!" Harry called forth his sheild, deflecting the Stunning curse into the air. "Not so fast Malfoy."  
  
"Impedimenta!" blonde haired boy yelled, and Harry dodge and threw the Jelly-leg curse at him who also dodged.   
  
"Taratangella!" shooting the dancing hex at Harry who narrowly dodged and firing another hex at Malfoy.  
  
"Flouebul Liofon!" Which poured soapy water ontop of Draco's head, causing to mess up his gell-y hair to splatter all over. This caused an great uproar of laughter. But also cause Malfoy to grow even more angrier and glared at the Gryffindors.   
  
"Never mind them! Concisus tergumvelius!" This time, however, Harry got hit in the left arm, and had gone through his cloths and cut at his skin, causing gaping wound.   
  
"Augh!" Harry lurched and recovered and pointed the wand at Malfoy again, seething.  
  
"Xenolotifus Curicitus!" Harry bellowed the curse at Draco Malfoy and got hit and fell to the knees screaming.  
  
"Ahhh! It burns!" Malfoy scratched at his skin, but before he scratched 'til he bled. Harry took the curse off of him. He watched Malfoy panting, gasping fo breath.  
  
"That one, was a light spell, similar to Cruciatus Curse, but only for the light, and since you are a dark person, it's effective. Now will someone take him to the Wing? I have an appointment with someone."  
  
Harry turned back to the Entrance Hall, somewhat please with himself. But not very pleased, after all, he did provoke Malfoy to dueling. 'Well, he deserved it anyways,' Harry thought darkly. 'But I'm surprised.... I seem so cold to him, I think I'm scaring myself...' Then he heard footfalls behind him and shouting for his name.  
  
"Harry! Where the bloody hell did you learn that curse!?" Ron asked increduously.  
  
"Yeah, I would like to know for myself," Hermione stared at him sternly. "Is it really for the light?"  
  
"Yeah, I've... been getting lessons from Remus and Sirius, well, actually not really..." Harry trailed off.   
  
"What do you mean, not really?" Hermione asked sharply.  
  
"It's not my fault if they leave their books lying around in the place I was hiding at. I was bored sometimes you know."  
  
"Oh Harry, you shouldn't have!" Hermione said, shaking her head. "What kind of books were they?"  
  
"They're not Dark Arts if that's what you were wondering, after last Friday, I swore to myself I'll never use a Dark Arts curses or hexes or any sort of things with the Dark Arts again."  
  
"Well, that's good to hear... but will that be enough to stay away from Azkaban?" Hermione wondered.  
  
"I hope so..."  
  
They stopped at the statue and said their password, (Snickers) and went up the spirling staircase. He knoecked on the door and hear a 'come in'. The three stared at each other nervously as Harry pushed the door open and saw that he wasn't alone. Of course he knew that Dumbledore wasn't going to be alone, but far more people than he had thought.   
  
The room was filled with several Ministry representatives including the Minister of Magic, along with ProfessorsMcGonagall and Dumbledore. 'What now?' Harry thought, wondering what's going on. He hope he didn't need to be interrogated by them about the night of Voldemort's announced return.   
  
"Hello Harry," he heard Dumbledore welcoming them.   
  
"Mr. Potter," said Minister Fudge, smiling at him but with a frown in his eyes.   
  
"Uh, what's going on?" Harry asked blankly. Then he heard the door opening and closing behind him and saw that Severus Snape had arrived in the Office as well.   
  
"I'm afraid that something had come to light," Fudge began, Harry's skin grew cold.  
  
'N-no they couldn't--'   
  
"Headmaster here, told me what happened on Friday night, and one of the details happen to include the Cruciatus Curse," several people in the room gasped. Apparently they weren't informed of what had happened. "So we have to act accordingly." The murmurings broke out amongst themselves, shocked to hear that The-Boy-Who-Lived had used a Cruciatus Curse. "Quiet everyone!"  
  
"But surely, can't you pardon Harry Potter?"  
  
"If he did on a Death Eater, shouldn't that be justified?"  
  
"I believe I ordered for silence!" said Fudge flustered. The murmurings died, but staring at Harry, who felt at once uncomfortable. "Now, who did you perform on? I need to hear from you."  
  
"Le-Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange . . . she was mocking me that I couldn't get her! I mean, after that, I swore to myelf I'll never use Dark Arts again, it was... horrorfying..." Harry retorted, trying to defend himself. Fudge looked at him frowning and turned to Headmaster who nodded without a twinkle in his eyes.   
  
"I'm sorry Potter, but you will have to go to Azkaban . . ." Harry stared at him in horror.  
  
"Wh-what! A-are Dementors still there..?" He couldn't believe it, he, Harry, was going to Azkaban.   
  
"Yes, some of them have already left yesterday to You-Know-Who, but largely, most of them are still on our side."  
  
'Our side my arse! I'm not going to Azkaban!' Harry stared at them all, defiantly. "I'm not going."  
  
"I'm sorry, but you have no choice," Fudge said. "Kingsley, Dawlish, a-a-ar-arrest him," he stammered and looked away from Harry. He felt alone, even in company of Ron and Hermione. He didn't know what to do, he'd die in that place within weeks!   
  
"But sir, I won't last long in that place!"   
  
"Dementors or not, you're going," Fudge replied as the two aurors approached him. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who both looked upset.   
  
"C-can I at least say good bye first? And a request?" Harry asked, trying to buy more time, delaying as much he can away from the dementors. Fudge sighed, and nodded.  
  
"Well, I guess you could, and what's the request?" The aurors stopped walking, only two meters from Harry. Harry looked over to Dumbledore hesitantly and looked back at Fudge.  
  
"This might sound crazy, but do you remember at the end of my third year? About Sirius Black?" Fudge immediatuly flustered, but nodded. "Well, he is innocent, I'm sure you saw one of the Death Eaters unmasked last Friday. That man is Pettigrew."  
  
Following after that, came silence and stared at him in shock and looked at the Minister of Magic.  
  
"Y-you're right, now that you've mentioned it, it did look like him... galloping gargoyles! Are you saying Pettigrew framed Sirius Black?" Harry nodded numbly. "But what about the betraying your parents?"  
  
"They switched the secret Keeper at the last minute, they thought that Pettigrew wouldn't be caught and that Sirius would throw Voldemort (nearly everyone gasped and shrieked at the name) off," again he was greeted with shocked silence and he sneaked a peek at Dumbledore. He saw that his eyes were twinkling ever so softly.   
  
"How do we know this is true?" Fudge recovered.  
  
"Well, tell me how you want me to prove you? Under Veritaserum for Sirius?" Harry asked.  
  
"W-well that would be enough," Fudge nearly stammered. "If this is true, we'll have a heck lot of compensation to do for him..."  
  
"Yes you do," said Harry coolly. "Now may I say my goodbyes now?"  
  
"Wait, do you know where Sirius Black is?"  
  
"Ask Dumbledore, he knows," Harry turned to his friends, with Hermione silently crying in tears and Ron staring at him with anguish. "Well," he patted on Ron's shoulder who snapped out of it.   
  
"Mate! Harry, mate," Ron hugged him who didn't really hugged back as he pulled into apathy mood.   
  
"I'm going to miss you Ron, mate," Harry swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He let go of Ron and turned to Hermione who leaped forward and hugged him tightly again. But this time he didn't protest for air, he hugged Hermione back lightly.  
  
"Oh Harry!" she sobbed into Harry's robes. "We'll visit you, can't we Minister Fudge?" she asked, looking at Fudge. Who sagged, and contemplating for a minute and shook his head no. Hermione broke into more tears. Harry couldn't believe it, he wasn't going to have any visitors at Azkaban.   
  
"Only until you graduate from Hogwarts," he said.  
  
i'Oh, that helps so much, that's little of a year!'/i Harry thought sarcastically. He heard Hermione another sob.  
  
"I suppose it's better than not visiting at all isn't it?" her voice strained.   
  
"Sir," Harry remembered his question, which had never been answered. "How long am I staying?" Fudge looked over to Dumbledore and then at the Ministry representatives and several Aurors. "Sir?"  
  
"W-well, I suppose you could serve in Azkaban for twenty years . . ." Hermione looked up from his robes at the Minister. "Your case is, well, under the circumstances, special."  
  
'20 years, twenty years of reign by Voldemort! How was I supposed to slay him? Surely I could and try to break out sooner than that. My friends are in danger!'  
  
"Why twenty years sir? I thought if you did an Unforgivable curse warranted a cell in Azkaban?" Hermione asked. Fudge, again looked flustered and opened his mouth like a fish.   
  
"I-well, I suppose it's because he freed us of You-Know-Who for the peace in this world," he replied. This statement didn't seem to sastify everyone but no one dared to question further, thus extending his servitude in Azkaban. Hermione finally let go of Harry, and turned to Kingsley and Dawlish.  
  
"So, how are we getting out of here?" Harry asked, with a voice of casual manner. Everyone looked at him as if he were insane. Kingsley took the portkey out of his pocket.  
  
"I don't suppose we'll need to handcuff you will we?" he asked, Harry shook his head. He handed his wand to Dumbledore.  
  
"Please take care of my wand," and Dumbledore accepted, nodding. "Well, bye everyone, I hope I'll see some of you soon." He looked over to Snape, and gave a little half-hearted wave. Severus Snape didn't respond or acknowledge him.   
  
"We will Potter," Professor McGonagall said, with a small smile. "You take care of yourself at that place," Harry nodded. With that, and the last thing he saw at Hogwarts was Fawkes who was cooing sadly at Harry and felt the portkey whisking away from that place and felt a large lump forming in his throat again.   
  
He couldn't believe it, he really was going to Azkaban, with the things he feared the most. iDementors. They're going to be everyewhere. /i Harry thought, panicking. And the three landed with a thud and his knees buckled and fell over. "Augh," he cried out as he fell, and felt strong pair of arms pullinig him to his feet.  
  
"Not so good with portkeys are you?" Kingsley asked.   
  
Harry shook his head, "No sir, I don't have any knack for floo or portkeys. I prefer brooms and cars," Kingsley chuckled, shaking his head.   
  
"This way Potter," the two Aurors led him towards the building which he noticed for first time. By the standings of Hogwarts, Azkaban is much bigger than he had imagined. He wouldn't be surprised if it was bigger than Hogwarts itself. The building was tinged with yellow and some grime covering the walls. There were a few windows, giving him a forboding feeling that the place is dark. And some of the windows were barred like the time in his summer before second year at the Dursleys.   
  
"Sir, I have a question," he began, remembering when the Dursleys bearly fed him. "How often will they feed me?"  
  
"Oh once every six hours, most of the prisoners don't have much appietite because of Dementors here," Harry's stomach clenched. Six hours, he was going to starve just like at the Dursleys. "I'm afraid to say that the food here isn't that good either." They came to a halt in front of iron door. He saw the Dementors standing on either side of the door, gaurding. Harry's inside fell cold, and heard a faint screaming in his head.  
  
"Oh no.." Harry felt light head and nearly collasped but Dawlish caught him before he was on the ground. The screaming of his mother, the face of Cedric's lifeless eyes, the way Neville fell to his death by the killing curse. The bad memories of his young life at the Dursleys emerged. He was surrounded by darkness, his skin cold.   
  
"Freak! You should have never lived, the way you are ungrateful!" a woman's voice screeched, he knew that it belonged to Aunt Petunia. He saw that Dudley pounded Harry, and being chased by his friends, punching him until he got a bloody nose.   
  
He remembered when Ron was jealous at Harry when he entered by accident in Triwizard tournament and felt sad. Harry also remembered Sirius, how mad he was at him in the Shrieking Shack. When he thought he had betrayed his parents. That he had lost his only chance at normal life. But wait, it wasn't Sirius, he was framed, it had been Wormtail, that Pettigrew.   
  
His eyes snapped open, gasping, but saw that it was dark in the cell. He still heard screaming voices in his head but at the cell's door, he saw a plate full of food. A chicken leg, some beans and water. 'Well, this is much better than the Dursley's at least,' he thought depressed-ly. 'How am I supposed to survive this place? I wonder how long I have been out...?' he wondered.   
  
End of Fifth book  
  
I already have the begining and the end of the sixth book fleshed out really well. Don't worry, Harry's getting out much sooner than that. That's all the hint I'm giving you all. Now don't worry, you won't have to wait too long. I hope you enjoyed the story. I'm still unsure of the title for the sixth book. But you'll know what it will be if you're watching me on Author's watch, or as fav story. Or simply type in my login. Thanks for the support from all of you guys!  
  



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